video premiere: south african youth show they can’t be outdone in gqom rapper sho madjozi’s infectious “dumi hi phone”
South Africa has been home to some of the most exciting innovations to hit the music scene in recent times, but groundbreaking contributions to global culture don’t stop there.
Gqom rapper Sho Madjozi exemplifies the far reaches of both the music and other vibrant artistry burgeoning in the country, and particularly among the youth. Her breakout single, “Dumi hi Phone”, is an head-bopping ode to the overlooked, who, despite their marginalization, still build, thrive, and add color to a world that would be dull without them.
Featuring PS DJz, the video for the track centers on the various scenes of youth culture and the joy they create together, following Madjozi as she goes from a sneaker-head Spova Gang in inner city Johannesburg, to the voguing dance community, to mesmerizing Xitsonga dance parties in Chiawelo.
“I want Tsonga girls to see themselves on MTV, I want the black gay boys to do their thing,” Madjozi says of the video. “I want to tell the Model C kids that it’s okay to have white friends. I guess I want the youth of SA to be allowed to enjoy this country.”
A rising star from Shirley Village in Limpopo, Madjozi’s history of repping for the marginalized begins with her ethnic minority community Xitsonga. A huge part of her identity as a performer, the rapper often wears colorful Tsonga dancing skirts in her exhilarating shows.
“I’m so many people, I grew up in a village but I’ve also been lived in the burbs,” Madjozi explains. “I’m a part of all these different groups and that’s okay. And not just because I’m mixed, I think that’s the condition of young post-Apartheid South Africans. We live in between all these different realities.”
In addition to dancing and starring in the video, Sho Madjozi also styled and creative directed it, imbuing the visuals with her colorful fashion sense and her love for her communities.
Check out the exciting video for “Dumi hi Phone” below!
Credits
Production Company: Flourish and Multiply
Director: Garth von Glehn
Creative Director: Sho Madjozi
Photo by: Garth von Glehn