Euphoria. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary this is "a feeling of well-being or elation." As sonically interpreted by Shimza and Jnr SA it is a captivating song of chattering claps, deep basslines and a heady atmosphere riddled with emotion. In many ways this word and song encapsulate what was Roots IX.
Transitions that enthrall. Vibrations that intoxicate. DJs moving a crowd with music, and the audience submitting to the pull of the puppeteer's strings. Euphoric. How an Afro house experience should be.
Beach House's sandy courtyard was once again the dance floor and from sunset until under the stars people danced.
The afternoon belonged to Tipdola and Mimi, who had the event off to a perfect start with their intuitive selections. TAPIWA arrived to set the first exclamation point of the night, with a performance that won't be soon forgotten. Arguably (and you would be wrong to argue) his best performance yet behind the decks.
Ryan Synth took on the mantle next, with Ryan Synth remixes we'll only ever hear from him being the stars of the occasion.
Armed with "Abasazi," Black Coffee's "We Dance Again," and his "Lutho" & "Kiveti" remixes, Tefo Foxx was emphatic. The moment he went on it became his show, and after diamonds, beef, Letsile Tebogo and Jinger Stone, he might be Botswana's greatest export.
Note: We absolutely need him for Carpe Diem in December, someone please tell Walter to expeditiously get him on the phone.
Roots' pioneer and founding father, Samuel Cosmic, took us home in typical fashion. The singing got louder, he was seranaded in chants of "Samuel we wanna party," and he left the stage to questions of when he would release the "Sewe" remix that had been the most captivating moment of his set.
Jnr SA announced himself with an Afro tech laced version of "Ngyozama" and never looked back. Guided simply by synth and tempo, he took us on a journey of emotion. As "Euphoria" rang out, Nizhe DeSoul was brought to tears right next to Jnr SA. Yet this wasn't just because of the music, but a moment 10 years in the making.
In 2016 when Jnr SA wasn’t yet Jnr SA, but a kid who had just dropped out of varsity, Nizhe DeSoul found him and took him in at Soul Candi Institute, becoming his music lecturer. This and many other untold tales helped realise the DJ and producer, Jnr SA is today. In so many ways this story is representative of what Roots IX meant.
The event had its first edition as a show with just 2 DJs (Samuel Cosmic and TAPIWA), but in less than 3 years it has grown to be a platform that hosts some of continent's most talented names in Afro house. In almost the same space of time, TAPIWA had gone from a bright eyed producer who didn't know his way around the decks, to a DJ who arguably had the best set on a lineup with names such as Jnr SA and Tefo Foxx.
In music and storytelling, Roots IX had more than delivered. It had presented its grandest stage, its most audacious lineup (with 4 debutants), and its longest running showcase. Its only blemish was the bar service at Beach House.
Greedysouth rating: 8.2/10