Morreu DJ Spoko, produtor sul-africano

[FOTO] Direitos Reservados

Morreu DJ Spoko, produtor sul-africano e pioneiro do género “Bacardi house”. Tinha 35 anos. Segundo a Resident Advisor, o artista não terá resistido às complicações decorrentes de uma doença prolongada.

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of a true giant of African music, Marvin ‘DJ Spoko’ Ramalepe (15/08/82 – 14/03/18). The young electronic music producer was born in Limpopo, and grew up in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, honing his love for music as part of the Hip-Hop crew GBE. DJ Spoko went on to create and enrich various musical styles that swept through South Africa and eventually the world, including Sghubu Sa Pitori, Direkere and most famously Bacardi House and Shangaan Electro. Marvin went on to put his city on the map and redefine South African house through monumental songs such as ‘Mugwanti’, ‘Township Funk’ and ‘Cucumba’, alongside colleagues such as Mujava. He moved to further pushed the envelope by fusing his style of production with maskandi and rock as part of the collective Fantasma. Marvin enjoyed global acclaim and was at the beginning of a promising touring career when he was struck by illness. Never one to give up, Marvin put his love of music to the world until the very last days of his life. His great talent, uncanny wisdom, sense of humour and charm will be missed by his friends, family, and fans around the world. He was a true pioneer who despite his humble background, used his abilities to make a living for himself and inspire many people around the world. DJ Spoko’s funeral service will be this weekend in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. Any contributions towards the wellbeing of his 3 young children, will be greatly appreciated. Continue to support and share his music, and keep the legacy of The King of Snares alive. (Please inbox me if you would like to make a contribution) #djspoko #bacardihouse #justsnares #King

Uma publicação partilhada por BATUK (@batukmusica) a 15 de Mar, 2018 às 2:48 PDT

Depois de aprender a produzir ainda na adolescência e descobrir os segredos da engenharia de som com Nozinja no início da idade adulta, Marvin Ramalepe aplicou os seus valiosos conhecimentos na concepção de “Township Funk”, hit global de DJ Mujava que contou com o seu input na produção. Depois do primeiro boom de popularidade, Spoko aproveitou as oportunidades e lançou uma série de trabalhos por editoras como a True Panther Sounds ou a Lit City Trax. Em Fevereiro deste ano, o músico uniu esforços com Matias Aguayo num EP colaborativo que saiu pela Cómeme.

Se quiserem ajudar a família do DJ e produtor — tinha três filhos –, podem fazê-lo através da compra de Spoko Forever, um conjunto de músicas que foram colocadas ontem no Bandcamp.

Gathering thoughts now….but devastated to say goodbye to Marvin Ramalepe aka DJ Spoko. We became good friends despite what might’ve seemed like a huge chasm of cultural class and racial differences because of a real shared love of music. pic.twitter.com/OWfAeOHYrf

— TRUE PANTHER SOUNDS (@truepanther) 14 de março de 2018