Gqom has steadily infiltrated more mainstream club spaces in recent years, globally and locally, spearheaded by the likes of DJ Lag and Uncle Waffles. Not to mention producers like Surreal Sessions, Omagoqa and Dee Traits who are flying the flag high for sub-genres like New Wave Gqom and 3-Step.
It’s no surprise that music collectives, organisers and promoters are looking to celebrate this significant moment in South African dance music, and South African culture at large. Cue GIDA—a cultural collision where South African Gqom meets global electronic music.
Conceptualised by Eurydice (founded by Soulchoke and Songo Ananda) in collaboration with Crates Collective, GIDA reimagines rave culture as a site of healing, community, and reclamation, with its inaugural event happening this Friday at Club Paradise.
The word “gida” originates from the Nguni languages, meaning “to dance” — but in South African township culture, it carries a deeper resonance. A joyful act of presence and resistance. GIDA revives this spirit; a tribute to and an evolution of the legacies left by Black and queer pioneers of electronic sound.
With an impressive group of boundary-pushing DJs and producers, the line-up will include Mr Thela, Likky Liks, Soulchoke, Not A She, Songo Ananda and Mila, who are each set to bring their dynamic selections to the floors of Cape Town’s Club Paradise.
“As artists of colour navigating underground rave scenes, we’ve often faced underrepresentation—despite being at the forefront of electronic sound culture,” say Soulchoke and Songo Ananda of Eurydice. “This project is about reclaiming space, dismantling genre walls, and giving voice to those who’ve always belonged here.”
“We want to experiment with new forms of collective expression,” says the Crates team. A multifaceted creative platform that brings together a diverse variety of artists and local creatives, Crates aims to spotlight the multiple dimensions of our music industry—and how unity through shared creativity can drive meaningful growth.
“GIDA is a love letter to the queer and POC pioneers of electronic music, and reclaiming the space we’ve always belonged to,” say Soulchoke and Songo Ananda. “We invite everyone to challenge themselves, let go and allow their bodies to intuitively move to the sounds that transport us to new, liberated worlds. This is not political work—it’s spiritual.”
We can’t wait to rave with GIDA, and if you have any good sense, you’ll be there too. FRONT AND CENTRE.
Tickets are available online or at the door.
You can also sign-up to be part of GIDA’s rooftop open decks here.
