My musical explorations began while I was growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, during the late 80s and early 90s. Apartheid was coming to an end and the country was readying itself for a newfound freedom. “Amandla, Awethu” literally means “the power is ours” and is a chant I recall very well, mixed in with all the politically-charged sounds of the time, spanning Cape Jazz, Afro-Synth, Bubblegum, Chicago House, Kwaito and even Motown. These genres have had a massive influence on my life and on musical taste. My father was also a DJ and a keen record collector, and he would regularly play at parties, clubs and family gatherings. Music was a crucial way of bringing people and communities together and it’s what I hope to achieve with this compilation, too. With this selection, I want to showcase the sounds from the past that hugely influenced later generations and continue to connect people around the world. It’s an insight into my ever-evolving musical adventure, the people I’ve met along the way, and why these powerful sounds still resonate today.