Thakzin’s “Maphorisa” leads a big month for Durban’s dance architects
A seven-vocalist posse cut announces Common Ground (13 November), while Dlala Thukzin follows MAYVIS with the ten-track Ember.
November is shaping up as a Durban month. Thakzin has opened the campaign for his new album Common Ground with “Maphorisa”, a sprawling single made with Mpho.Wav and Atmos Blaq. The album is due on 13 November through Sondela Recordings.
A posse cut for the dancefloor
“Maphorisa” is crowded in the best way. The vocal list runs to Tete, Ozana, Kisto, Moonchild Sanelly, Baby S.O.N, Suffocate SA and Citizen Deep, a cast that bridges Afro house, 3-step and the experimental edge of the scene. Instead of seven vocalists taking turns, the track plays like a relay, each voice handing the energy to the next over a hypnotic, percussive bed.
Thakzin has spent the past few years as one of the producers most associated with 3-step’s rise, the Durban-born sound that sits between Afro house’s depth and amapiano’s swing. If “Maphorisa” is the mission statement, Common Ground looks set to argue that these scenes are closer than their fans think.
The title says it all: Common Ground is about where the genres meet, not where they split.
Dlala Thukzin keeps the heat on
Fellow Durban hitmaker Dlala Thukzin has also delivered a new LP, Ember. It is a ten-track follow-up to 2025’s MAYVIS that keeps his trademark mix of big hooks and floor-ready drums. Coming weeks after his appearance on Young Stunna’s 3-step outing “Luzuko”, it confirms his place as one of the busiest producers in the country.
Also on our radar
Darque has added “Ke Mang” featuring Zee Nxumalo to a deluxe edition of Open Your Eyes More, and Durban’s Argento Dust has released No Foot Print, a moodier LP for the after-hours crowd.
We will review Common Ground when it lands on the 13th. In the meantime, “Maphorisa” is already a contender for our 3-Step chart.