Uncle Waffles' Rise to DJ Superstardom
In 2019, the South African genre amapiano began to gain recognition on a global scale. Amapiano is characterised by a fusion of deep house, jazz, and percussive loop samples with melodic, enlivening vocals. It is arguably the biggest sound to come out of the African continent right now.
22-year-old Uncle Waffles, born Lungelihle Zwane, first stole the world’s hearts in October 2021 with a viral video of her performance at Mint in Soweto, South Africa. Through the power of social media she was able to reach millions of viewers who helped kickstart her career in the industry.
Zwane explains that she wasn’t supposed to have that DJ slot—but when the opportunity came up, she grabbed it with both hands. “The person who was supposed to take that slot cancelled,” she says. “Just like that, a 30-minute slot that was not supposed to be mine… Here I am today.”
The viral video of Uncle Waffles entertaining hundreds at a venue in Soweto has received over 5 million views on Twitter alone. After topping Twitter’s trending list, her Instagram following grew from 10k to a whopping 160k. Her distinctive style and irresistible energy have made her a fan favorite among ravers and other music fans alike. She has received nods from well-known celebrities, including rapper Drake and former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.
With the quick rise to success and fame that Uncle Waffles has seen as DJ, she is now working on highly anticipated new original music in the hopes of solidifying her position within the industry through her dedication to the craft. Zwane celebrates 6 million all-time streams on her Apple Music account since releasing her debut EP Red Dragon. She hopes to share her love of music with the world and venture into other creative endeavours. The future looks brighter than ever for DJ Uncle Waffles.
