Shimza - Kunye Festival Takeover
At Kunye, it sounds like heavy bass mixed with gospel vocals, like bodies moving as one beneath a sunset, like South Africa speaking to the world.
From the second I entered Kunye, I knew it wasn’t just a festival. It brought together the history, the vibrancy, and the future of South African electronic music in one place. Amongst a sea of some familiar, and some unfamiliar faces, I felt myself protected from the heavy rain by the warmth and joy of the South African community.
And for Shimza - the DJ, producer, and visionary behind it all - that sense of unity is his purpose.
“Kunye means together,” Shimza told me. “It’s about connecting artists, sounds, and people, across borders, across generations.”
Kunye landing in London is no small feat. While the city is known for its musical diversity, breaking through its saturated scene at such an important festival is a powerful sign of cultural impact and further growth to come. Despite the rain, the energy of the crowd was electric; strangers connecting at the bar, two-stepping in puddles, long hugs and laughs exchanged in anticipation of what was to come.
“I love how London has received South African music,” Shimza said. “It feels so nice to be in a different country, but still able to express myself freely in the most authentic way. It’s a great opportunity for us to enter this market and to grow our brand, Kunye, globally”
But as South African electronic music crosses borders, there are risks. For Shimza, there’s an urgency to make sure that the global growth of the sound doesn’t come at the cost of losing its story.
“We cannot let other people tell our stories through their lens. I’m fighting to keep our music and culture alive and authentic so we stay in control of our music and our legacy.”
That means curating line-ups, protecting artists’ interests, and speaking up for the integrity of the culture. “We cannot let other people tell our stories through their lens. I’m fighting to keep our music and culture alive and authentic so we stay in control of our music and our legacy.”
He didn’t shy away from the difficulties faced within the live industry either - travel costs, visa issues, systemic inequities. “There’s always been difficulty with protecting our artists and our music and ensuring equity globally... I’m in such a blessed position to be able to have an impact, support my community, and preach the gospel of our music.”
Supporting the next generation of talent is key to ensuring the South African music industry is equitable and sustainable - an issue Shimza repeatedly stressed was of utmost importance to him. “There’s a challenge I notice of creating line-ups that are attractive to audiences to buy tickets for,” Shimza said, “but also ensuring that newer artists get great opportunities to perform. Festivals aren’t just about well-known names, they’re an outlet for us to introduce new artists, so that they can have access to the markets as well,” he explained. “It’s up to us to fight for our upcoming talent, to switch up the billings and acts, and to have people trust in our vision for the future of music.”
What started in South Africa now has its eyes on the world. And Shimza’s vision isn’t just about filling dancefloors. It’s about scaling infrastructure, growing opportunity, and making room.
“The next step is trying by all means to get our sound into the biggest rooms,” he said. “The bigger the rooms we are in, the more opportunity there is for the next homegrown talent to rise. Let’s bring our sounds into new spaces, gain new fans, spread the brand!”
What stayed with me most was Shimza’s fierce commitment to future generations and to protecting the culture he comes from. As our conversation wrapped, I asked Shimza what he hopes people remember him for.
“I want to be remembered as someone that created opportunities for other up-and-coming talent from where I come from,” he said. “I have the baton, and I want to give it to the next generation. Thembisa to the world!”
Throughout our conversation, I kept thinking about the rain. In most places, it would have dampened the vibe. But not here. Here, it felt like something sacred.
“Yoh, this rain! I take rain as a blessing,” Shimza said, laughing. “In my culture, rain is a blessing, and I feel so blessed to be here. Rain is washing away the pain of the past and cleansing us for the future, and that is exactly what is happening here. We are being watered; we are growing something amazing - we shouldn’t stop.”
As I made my way back to the crowd to catch his set, his words echoed in my mind. Around me, strangers, brought together by shared passion for music, connected effortlessly. People I hadn’t seen in years, faces from community gatherings and past celebrations, now dancing alongside me and my friends as if no time had passed. Arms intertwined, laughter ringing out, stories exchanged between beats; it was a collective embrace, a long-lost family reunited through music.
In that moment, I felt the fierce protective love that binds this community, the same love Shimza carries in his mission to grow and safeguard the South African music scene. The rain began to ease, and as the sun began to disappear, the crowd lifted their arms to the sky, joy illuminating every beautiful face as dance circles formed, through shouts of ‘Haibo!’
The energy was unstoppable; a powerful reminder that Kunye is more than a festival. It is a homecoming, a celebration of togetherness, a movement rooted in heart and heritage. Kunye didn’t just bring South African music to London, it brought our spirits home.
