🍿 Full hour episode now streaming on YouTube:

Ep09: DJ Okapi

DJ Okapi, founder of Afrosynth Records, is widely respected as one of the key figures preserving South Africa’s electronic, bubblegum, and kwaito heritage. More than a DJ, he’s an archivist and connector, unearthing lost South African sounds from the ’80s and ’90s while championing a new wave of local jazz artists — like Mabuta and Ayanda Sikade — through his New Horizons compilation series, pressed on vinyl and distributed worldwide by @rushhourrecords in Amsterdam.

Afrosynth began as a blog in 2009–2010, with deep dives into disco, funk, bubblegum, and early kwaito that helped put these sounds back on the map for collectors, DJs, and reissue labels globally. The label naturally grew from that archival work.

A vital connector and collector, Okapi ran the legendary Afrosynth record shop in downtown Johannesburg before returning to Cape Town, where you’ll now find him DJing at venues like Gorgeous George and The Commons, or digging up vinyl treasures at local record fairs. His sets are living archives — a dance floor journey through priceless holy grails and bargain-bin surprises, all stitched together with groove and deep knowledge

Instagram: https://bit.ly/46XFcCl
Afrosynth Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/4m6g9kP
Afrosynth Soundcloud: @afrosynth 
Afrosynth blog: https://bit.ly/4mdscgv

The Feeling - A project where artists are encouraged to explore their collections and share the sounds that resonate, linger, and most importantly, give them, The Feeling.

The series comprises 16 one-hour episodes rolling out over the next 8 months (2 episodes per month), showcasing some of my favorite artists, DJs, and colleagues from the Cape Town and South African music scenes.

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Find The Feeling series:

Instagram: https://bit.ly/4iD7C7P
TikTok: https://bit.ly/4j6PWRC

Shoemaker 
Instagram: https://bit.ly/42PRB6A  
TikTok: https://bit.ly/41TN98N

Equipment and lighting provided by MyOh!My Entertainment: https://bit.ly/4lvhIcT

Filmed at Soundcast Studios, Cape Town, South Africa: https://bit.ly/3DYzqV7

Follow the 🔗 in bio to watch the full episode and others 🥤🍿

The Feeling: Ep 09 - DJ Okapi

Shoemaker grew up in a family on the east coast of the United States where music was always the cornerstone of the home. When he first left the States over a decade ago, his love for music was only magnified by his travels around the world. Shortly after, an obsession for disco music sent him down a path of collecting and playing records.  With multiple residencies in the city under his belt over the years, his drive for finding new music and sounds inspires him to consistently dig deeper. Today, Shoemaker’s sets are influenced by disco, Latin, African, Zouk, house, and music from all corners of the world - never one to stick to one sound or genre. He aims to spoil listeners with music they are unfamiliar with but find irresistible not to move to! 
Shoemaker has played at MCQP, Sexy Groovy Love, Kinky Summer, Rocking the Daisies, Retreat Yourself among other festivals and is a regular DJ in the city bowl where you can catch him playing at various venues around town.

Bar dj, but most of the time tireless listener, unconditional love for funky freaky world music. 



istagram: ciao sono tazio

Live Performer
Producer

Afro House Techno

https://www.mixcloud.com/LazarusZim

The Feeling: Ep 09 - DJ Okapi

Charlie Shoemaker