The fourth volume of Nando's global music initiative sees Ghetts, Chy Cartier, FAVE and more bringing their twists to the ever-evolving sound of Amapiano.

Nando’s are back again with another spicy Amapiano EP, Mix It Up Vol. 4. Created in partnership with the South African non-profit Bridges for Music, Amapiano princess Uncle Waffles stepped in as executive producer to curate a selection of South African producers to mix some infectious Piano beats and assembled a team of wordsmiths to rap over them.

 

The EP features grime MC Ghetts, North London riser Chy Cartier, and Nigerian singer-songwriter FAVE, who bring their craft to an array of polyrhythmic and bass-heavy cuts. On ‘Bad One’, Ghetts takes TK Creedlion’s unique take on the genre to a new level through his signature lyrical confidence, tapping artist Makhani to ground the track. Meanwhile, Chy Cartier fiercely relays her experience of a Johannesburg Nando’s on ‘Jozi’, produced by Royal MusiQ, with Makhanj’s hypnotising chorus displaying the global influence on the EP. FAVE and Sbuba Maleather’s ‘Gen Z Love’ combines the influence of Piano, pop, Caribbean and hip-hop into a spicy yet vulnerable song about love in the modern world.

An international collaboration, the EP was recorded and produced between Johannesburg’s Flame Studios, which is sponsored by Nando’s, and the basement recording studio of Nando’s Soho location in London, epitomising the chicken restaurant’s core belief: “Life’s Better When You Mix It Up.” This is the fourth year of the ‘Mix It Up’ project, which is operated with Bridges For Music. The non-profit organisation was created to celebrate the chicken restaurant’s South African heritage, platforming emerging talent from the country. The project illuminates the exciting sounds coming out of global music scenes and drives Nando’s initiative to transform lives by connecting musicians between the UK and South Africa.

In celebration of the drop, Nando’s threw a jam-packed party with Cultur FM, an emerging platform celebrating global music communities, in London. Uncle Waffles was behind the decks, doing what she does best, playing a mix of Amapiano, Afrobeats and African club sounds that kept everyone on the dance floor long into the night. Bringing the spirit of Johannesburg to the capital, Nando’s is paving the way for cross-pollination to thrive between Africa and the UK, and we’ll be waiting tentatively to see what they do next.

 

The Mix It Up Vol. 4 EP is available for streaming across all streaming platforms now.