Culoe De Song’s arrival felt like a reset for Afro house music lovers worldwide. Born Culolethu Zulu in 1990 in what became Kwa Zulu-Natal, he drew inspiration from local DJs as well as the explorations of dance music innovators DJ Gregory, Masters At Work, and Osunlade. After the teenager collaborated with Black Coffee on tracks like 2007’s hypnotic “100 Zulu Warriors,” Culoe De Song earned a contract with the older artist’s Soulistic Music label. In 2008, at just 18, he was selected as a participant in the Red Bull Music Academy, which further raised his profile internationally. He has turned remixes into fine art, such as on his magical 2009 version of Busi Mhlongo’s “We Baba.” Using smooth vocal tracks, energetic percussive elements, and decadent basslines, Culoe De Song explores the ancestral connections to land and spirit at the center of his Afrocentric sonic output.