The Deep Root Tribe Return: Art Basel 2024 Edition

Shimza

Magic on the Rooftop: Shimza's Epic Set and a Surprise from Black Coffee

GQ South Africa Talks with Shimza: From Local DJ to Afro House Ambassador

How Shimza Manages to Satisfy the Crowd's Demands

How Shimza's Kunye Records Came to Life

How Shimza Got His Start as a DJ

South Africa

south african house

south african pop

[Op-Ed] Building a Bolder and More Vibrant House Music Ecosystem, For All

Debut

10 Shimza Tracks You Should Know

5 Must-Hear Tracks from Shimza's Label, Kunye Records

Shimza Proves his Status as a Leading Afro-House DJ with a Defected Mix

Shimza: “You Need to be Positive About Everything that You Do”

How Shimza Invests in His Community

How Shimza Became the First DJ to Play on Robben Island

7 Dance Music Artists Using their Platform for Philanthropy

One of South Africa’s shining stars, Shimza will stop in Brooklyn for a fiery set at Quantum! The Afrotech DJ and producer, née Ashley Raphala, started spinning at age 15 and quickly rose through the ranks of the global scene. Dubbed the “Effect Master” and “Vinyl Assassin,” Shimza was signed quickly to Black Coffee’s Soulistic Music alongside artists like Culoe De Song. His full-length album

 and singles “African Woman” and “Akulalwa” cemented his place as one of South Africa’s leading house music producers.

With his signature Afrotech sound, Shimza gets the crowd grooving from London and Paris to Berlin and Amsterdam, Manchester, Sicily, and more. He has released productions such as “Destino” on 

, an EP for Luciano’s beloved Cadenza Music. After signing with an agency in 2018, Shimza hit the jackpot and headlined a residency at Privilege Ibiza. More recently, he was entrusted by De Mthuda, Njelic, Kwiish SA, and Malumnator to remix their single “LiYoshona,” one of South Africa’s biggest amapiano tracks.

Uwrongo - Edit


In 2020, Shimza launched his record label KYUNE and announced its arrival with a sold-out debut in London. With the goal of exporting South African Afrotech to the world, his mission quickly proved successful.


“What excites me is knowing where the music can take you,” 

. “Music is like a CV: you put it out there and hope that people that listen to it can literally see themselves working with your brand. Moving forward, I would like to have collaborations with people that would open different doors to our journey and can expose us to different markets so that we not only make music for types of people or certain territories, but the music should be able to travel all around the world.”

Gray Area is honored to bring international artists like Shimza to New York City under our Debut event series. Learn about our vision for 

Gray Area's new venture, "Debut," aims to bridge the international house music community by bringing established and emerging artists to cities they've never performed in. This initiative seeks to expand artists' fan bases and provide fans with fresh, exhilarating musical experiences. Having played a role in introducing major artists and brands like elrow and Awakenings to new audiences in the past, Gray Area believes in the magic of first-time experiences. By promoting artists in new venues and cities, they hope to cultivate a thriving, unified house music ecosystem. Debut is not merely a marketing strategy but embodies Gray Area's commitment to fostering collaboration, unity, and musical discovery.

Debut: Shimza First New York Headline Performance

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