Sadiq ‘Wurld’ Onifade, a Nigerian music star, is in the process of creating a dance album that blends Afrobeats and Amapiano, which is a subgenre of house music that has gained recent popularity in South Africa.
The exploding popularity of the sound has seen it gaining a foothold in numerous African countries, including Nigeria where top artists like Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid and Asake have found it hard to resist.
Wurld told Pulse, in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, he’s now working on a dance album fueled by his love for the uniqueness and energy of the Amapiano sound.
“It’s going to be a fusion of house, Amapiano and just really Afrobeats stuff. It’s a straight dance album,” he said.
The Nigerian singer and songwriter is no stranger to the Amapiano sound, with previous records including remixes of his Trobul and Ego hits with South African group, Major League Djz.
He plans to collaborate with the group once again for the planned dance album. He’s also eyeing top South African acts, DJ Maphorisa and Focalistic, to work with him on the project.
Wurld is hopeful about possibly sealing talks on the collaborations while he’s in South Africa for Spotify’s Amapiano Tour exploring the roots of the sound and how streaming is helping in its global export.
“We’ll see how that goes,” he said.
The 36-year-old is drawn to Amapiano’s spirituality and how authentically it represents the African voice.
He said, “I was a fan of South African house music before Amapiano, and just watching the progression of it, being a part of it and creating music in that space is a natural energy for me. What people experience with Amapiano is really just the heart and soul of the community in the people of South Africa.”
Wurld said the project is also inspired by his appreciation for always experimenting with different sounds.
He also exclusively revealed he’s made “something really special” with fellow Nigerian artistes, Teniola ‘Teni’ Apata and Odunsi the Engine, that he can’t wait to release to his fans.