NEW MUSIC: President Ya Straat Drops “Baja Ko Pele”
“Ase trap ke pina tsa ko kasi!” Self-styled president of the streets Focalistic has made a swaggering new-music-Friday entrance with his latest single, ‘Baja Ko Pele‘. The ‘Ke Star‘ hitmaker isn’t alone on his freshest joint; with him are MJ and “Bhehba” sensations Shaunmusiq, Ftears, and Xduppy. The single is a precursor to the Straata Nation Address scheduled to light up Supersport Park on 10 June 2023.
Running for four minutes and thirty-five seconds, ‘Baja Ko Pele‘. is a standard amapiano track with all the signatures known to the genre. From thumping log drums and energising snares to simmering bass lines and dizzying concoctions of various sirens, the single has a fast tempo that dovetails with the upbeat performances of the vocalists.
True to amapiano being a young cousin of kwaito, the single mimics its distant relative with its tendency of coaxing a dance move or two with repetitive incantations of the song title: ‘Baja Ko Pele‘. Such can be heard with the maniacal “Iyeyiiiii iyooooooh” that serves as the pre-chorus, carpeting the rise of the song with a low point, which leaves the ear anticipating an imminent climax.
Prior to its release, a snippet of the song went viral on TikTok, gaining over 40 million views with famous artists, such as Pabi Cooper and Thee Buhle joining in on the dance challenge.
‘Baja Ko Pele‘ which loosely translates to “they are eating in front”, is an aphorism used in the township, when a van or truck passes by and has passengers at the back. Pedestrians usually scream baja ko pele to make the back passengers feel left out of the conversation or any food that is being served to the passengers sitting in the front of the van or truck.
With the sound geared toward nightlife and groove culture, Maradona’s newest offering culls together the influences of kasi-approved canon to preserve the legacy bequeathed to South Africans. In ‘Baja Ko Pele‘, the heritage of ‘Sistah Betinah‘ by Mgarimbe is evident in the reckless enjoyment of the performances. The ‘Umlilo’ by Big Nuz shows in the chemistry of the collective, and “Lento” by Professor manifests in the timeliness of the musical hills and valleys of the production.
With the subtext of his coming show being “It’s All About Dreams”, Focalistic’s latest single is a celebration of what is a crowning moment for an artist who’s merely beginning to see his full potential ripen.