In an aim to push true music scenes forward and support artists, fans, crews, and communities around the world, Ballantine’s Scotch whisky together with Boiler Room are doing a three-city tour of South Africa, which will stop in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town for three amazing showcases.
The first show was held at Uhuru Afrique Foods in Clermont, a township situated in Durban last week, and it was headlined and hosted by gqom pioneer Lwazi Gwala who is famously known as DJ Lag.
Ballantine’s Head of Music, Tom Elton said: “Not only are we spotlighting the thriving communities on the cusp of something huge, we are doing it in collaboration with two highly influential local hosts who have worked with us to handpick the artists coming from those varied and inclusive scenes, ensuring their stories are told in their own words.”
Boiler Room meets Ballantine’s Scotch whisky. Picture: Sibonelo Ngcobo
Boiler Room founder, Blaise Bellville said South Africa has proven to be a huge success for the Boiler Room, and Ballantine's shows with some of the world's richest music history and forward thinking sounds.
“Durban has long been somewhere we've wanted to visit, the birthplace of a genre that has gone from Clermont township to Beyonce's album, so this is a big moment for us to be working with DJ Lag to showcase a genre in the very home it was born out of,” said Bellville.
At the show DJ Lag, the "gqom king" himself, kept everyone jumping. The incredible line-up included DJ Thukzin, and RudeBoyz who also kept the crowd on their feet.