DJ Mobla

Biography

DJ Mobla is one of the vanguards of Bacardi music, a South African substyle that combines the rhythmic power of kwaito and house with pop-synth melody and strong percussion flair. Coming out of Pretoria in the post-apartheid era, DJ Mobla laid the groundwork for what would become known as Bacardi house sound, featuring martial-style snares, wobbly synths, gruff call-and-response vocals and a drumming style that has an unequivocally South African flavor. As an early innovator alongside artists like DJ Spoko and DJ Mujava, Mobla helped to create a sound that didn't just shape a generation of Pretoria's township nightlife but also laid the groundwork for the rise of amapiano and its 'New Age Bacardi' offshoot.