Cape Town’s Don Ndikberry Takes Amapiano on a New Ride with ‘INKQUBO’
CAPE TOWN-based music producer and technology entrepreneur Don Ndikberry has released a 28-track Amapiano album, INKQUBO, bringing together southern African storytelling, contemporary dance sounds and collaborations stretching into West Africa.
The album, whose title translates to “The Process”, was released through RCV Records on August 14 and represents one of Ndikberry’s most ambitious projects to date.
Born Luvuyo Ndiki, the producer has taken an unconventional route into the music industry, balancing recording with his technology and manufacturing interests in Cape Town.
Ndikberry said much of p was completed during breaks from running his 3D printing operation, using a combination of commercially available production tools and Umoya Studio, music software he developed himself.
“Running a manufacturing plant is stressful. Music is where I go to breathe, I made this album on my breaks, to capture my journey,” Ndikberry said.
“I couldn’t buy my way into the industry, so I engineered my way in. That’s inkqubo. The process is ours.”
The project introduces what Ndikberry describes as “Ubuntu Wave”, an approach which blends Amapiano with predominantly isiXhosa and isiZulu storytelling.
The multilingual album moves between isiXhosa, isiZulu, English and Yorùbá, reflecting Ndikberry’s attempt to stretch the project beyond South Africa while retaining a strong indigenous identity.
Nigerian rapper Ice Prince and Lagos collective ỌRÙN MOB are among the collaborators featured on the record.
Ndicela uPhila Nawe has been selected as the album’s focus track, while other songs being pushed from the expansive project include Ngiyeza, Wajonge Zantsi, Soul City, Ọ̀GÁ MI and Bring Azaina, My Children.
Ndikberry said his music remains heavily rooted in indigenous languages, with between 80% and 90% of his catalogue written in isiXhosa and isiZulu.
Beyond music, he is the founder of 3D Printing Village (3pV) and 3PV Labs, businesses reflecting the technology side of a career that increasingly overlaps with his creative work.
He also founded Red Cup Village in 2012 and operates in music as an executive producer, songwriter and engineer.
The release of INKQUBO represents an attempt to bring those different strands of his career together, particularly through his development and use of Umoya Studio during the production process.
With 28 tracks, the album also gives Ndikberry considerable room to explore his Ubuntu Wave concept and position it within the increasingly diverse Amapiano landscape.
