United States

Superior Ingredients

The Roof at Superior Ingredients

The Then and Now of Amapiano: South Africa’s Latest Pulsating Dance Music Genre

Uncle Waffles

How Uncle Waffles Scored a Residency with BBC Radio 1

5 of Uncle Waffles' Most Outstanding Live Performances

Uncle Waffles' Rise to DJ Superstardom

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

Debut

deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin Among Speakers for Beatport’s Inaugural ReConnect Summit in New York

South Africa

amapiano

barcadi

South African DJ and viral social media sensation Uncle Waffles makes her New York debut on the gorgeous Superior Ingredients Roof this December 3rd! In the wake of amapiano taking the world by storm, Uncle Waffles has risen to become one of the genre's fiercest champions. Amapiano began to gain international traction around 2019. Defined by a blend of percussive loops, enchanting melodics, energetic vocals, and elements of deep house and jazz, amapiano is arguably the biggest sound coming out of the African continent right now.

The 22-year-old artist 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 reached millions of viewers who helped her kick-start her career. The amapiano messenger is widely known for leaving audiences begging for more. Her unique style has earned her a loyal following among clubgoers and music lovers, receiving co-signs from renowned stars, including rapper Drake, Diplo, Major League DJz, Adam Port, &ME, and Rampa.

Uncle Waffles kicked off her European summer tour at Afronation in Portugal, playing alongside amapiano legends Major League DJz. Since then, she has given electric performances in France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland. Her impeccable taste also recently scored her a residency on BBC Radio 1, where she spent the month of September dropping the genre's biggest hits every Thursday evening over the airwaves for the tastemaking British radio outlet.

Red Dragon

In her hope to influence and share her love of music with the world, Uncle Waffles continues to push amapiano to the masses. The Swaziland-born DJ is so much more than just an internet sensation. She's a cultural ambassador and a champion of a unique musical art form showing the world the breadth of Africa's dance music contributions.

We are proud to have Uncle Waffles as a part of Gray Area's Debut event series. 

Learn more about our vision for Debut here

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: Uncle Waffles New York Debut

France

Oden & Fatzo

Chesster

Cut & Sew

SHEK

Olive F

Oden & Fatzo with Chesster, Olive F, and Friends

Italy

melodic techno

Stephan Jolk

General Admission

DuNE

Robyn Balliet

tech house

minimal techno

tribal house

German Brigante

Stephan Jolk with German Brigante

Germany

Konstantin Sibold

melodic house

Belladonna (ofc)

Woke Brian

Konstantin Sibold & Guests

progressive house

Romain Garcia

Romain Garcia & Guests

DIØN

Crossbow

Adam Meliani

DIØN & Guests

United Kingdom

Omar+

Debut: Omar+ New York Debut

HILLS

latin house

bass house

Crusy

indie dance

WELKER

Slaycey

HILLS with Crusy & Welker

Denmark

danish electronic

danish techno

deep euro house

Kölsch

Slovenia

Brina Knauss

Kölsch with Brina Knauss

Ape Drums & Guests

Nigeria

afrobeats

afropop

nigerian pop

SPINALL

SPINALL & Guests

Son of Son

Debut: Son of Son New York Debut

Jackie Hollander

Debut: Jackie Hollander First New York Headline Performance

Joezi

Joezi & Guests

Netherlands

deep groove house

house

Ferreck Dawn

Ferreck Dawn & Guests

dutch tech house

Prunk

M-High

Prunk with M-High

Durante

Yulia Niko

Koumby

Paraleven

The Room at Superior Ingredients

Durante with Paraleven & Yulia Niko

Debut: Uncle Waffles New York Debut

Lineup