Once a month, the Hyde and Seek nightclub in downtown Ottawa buzzes with the sounds of Afro house, Amapiano and Afrobeats. A crowd of bodies surround the DJ, panting and waiting for the beat to drop, and when it does, the energy is enough to blow the roof off.
This party is none other than Amashowza. First launched in 2021, the event brings sounds from various cultures to the dance floor from hip-hop to baile funk, dancehall, and reggaeton. DJ Viibz, the event’s organizer, describes Amashowza as an “open format” experience.
“I always advise people when they come to my shows to have an open mind. You’re most likely going to hear every sound possible,” Viibz says during a Zoom interview.
Amashowza. Photo provided.
Andrea Ndikumasabo, co-creative director of Amashowza, says this format challenges cultural and racial stereotypes associated with music.
“There’s this idea that for example Black men with dreads only listen to trap music. But people are not usually what they look like. Amashowza creates a safe space for different communities to come together and enjoy themselves.”
Working alongside her brother Michel Ndikumasabo, Andrea curates the decor for the venue, which varies for every show. I met her on March 28 with the rest of the team, setting up for Amashowza. She was cutting and pinning beige fabric pieces to the wall behind the DJ in the shape of a storm eye. She said she wanted the decor to represent “the ripple effect” the DJs have on attendees.
Jayln D’Jan surely felt that effect. She moved to Ottawa from the Greater Toronto Area to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology at Carleton University. But the capital didn’t have much to offer to someone who enjoys going out dancing. Then, she found Amashowza.
“It was a very different experience for a club in Ottawa. They played music that I enjoy, that I can connect with, that me and my friends can dance,“ D’Jan tells me on a quick phone call. She was one of the people who responded to the interview request I posted on my Instagram story.
“I’ve met so many nice people while I was there. It was overall a great time,” she says of Amashowza.
D’Jan commands the range of sounds that are played at Amashowza.
“There was a time I was there, they played pop. And another time we were all singing Keyshia Cole in the club,” she says.
Amashowza. Photo provided.
Before he became DJ Viibz, Michael was a kid watching DJ tutorials for beginners on YouTube.
“At the time, I didn’t have access to a computer. I was using my cousin’s computer,” he says during a Zoom interview.
At events, he stayed near the DJ booths, watching and learning.
“I would ask questions like ‘Why did you press that?’ They would answer then they would move on because they don’t really think that you’re picking it up.”
He played his first set in 2018 at DeVille, a nightclub in Orléans, which is now closed, and the rest, as they say, is history. Viibz is proud of this journey; that’s clear from how he smiles as he tells the story.
“We inspire people! I don’t think many DJs realize that when you’re spinning and showing the energy, people are taking notes and learning from you,” he says.
DJ Viibz poses for a portrait. Photo provided.
Amashowza faced some setbacks. After the first two sold-out shows in 2021, Viibz took a hiatus. He says at the time Amapiano hadn’t reached its peak internationally which contributed to the low turn-outs.
“I guess we were ahead of time and that happens a lot when you bring out a new sound,” he says. “People were not familiar with the sound. Anytime I would play it, there would be no response from the crowd. Bit by bit, they would stop coming.”
Amapiano grew out of South African house music, blending reggae, hip-hop and U.S. house music. It dominated South Africa in early 2019 and became the sound of the youth, according to a Rolling Stone article.
Viibz first heard Amapiano in 2015 and started incorporating it into his sets before the first edition of Amashowza. “If you’re a DJ who wants to grow, you want to explore the many sounds that are out there,” he says.
Amashowza ended last summer with a boat party that drew hundreds of guests. The show’s success wouldn’t have been possible without a dedicated team.
Fortunately, when Amashowza returned for its second edition last January, Amapiano had already caught on in Ottawa. The lineup included DJ Viibz, DJ PC and DJ Kobi.
DJ PC is based in Ottawa. Her sound spans multiple genres such as hip-hop, Amapiano, jersey club, and dance music. She played for Amashowza again in June and September of last year.
“Amashowza is an event where the energy will always sneak up on you. It’s always nice to catch the moment when the crowd ‘comes alive.’ For Amashowza, I’ve noticed that this happens very quickly,” she writes in an email.
DJ PC waving a flag at Amashowza. Photo provided.
PC finds collective joy to be “contagious” and always aims to create a space for people to feel that joy during her sets.
She cites the Black community as her source of inspiration. “My goal as a DJ has always been to get people dancing. Some of my favourite songs to play are songs attached to dance moves/choreography. I find that the Black community has pioneered this concept, from the Dougie to Jersey Hips and from Azonto to Mnike.”
For Shababa Huda, events like Amashowza are helping to amplify Black and Brown community members through music and culture. Huda is the founder of Krownd, an organization seeking to build community through clothing and fashion.
“The special thing about Amapiano music, specifically is that it’s diasporic. Its roots are all over the world, but more particularly, it’s flowing out of Africa. As a creator, it gives me something to experience and embrace, and coming from a diasporic background myself, I recognize how important that is because music brings people together.”
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