Simzea Brings the Drum to the Future on Hypnotic Afrohouse Cut ‘Ngoma’

By Emmanuel Esomnofu

Released yesterday (June 7, 2024), Simzea’s Ngoma lands with precision and intention, a hypnotic Afrohouse track that bridges the heartbeat of African tradition with the sleek edges of modern electronic production. The UK-based Nigerian producer, DJ, and songwriter continues to carve out her own lane in the global Afrohouse movement, building on a steadily growing reputation shaped by underground performances, collaborations, and meticulous studio work.

The title Ngoma is rooted in Bantu languages, where it refers not only to drums but also to the music, dance, and communal ceremonies surrounding them. It is a word that evokes movement, gathering, and rhythm as a living force. In many African cultures, ngoma carries spiritual weight, marking celebrations, healing rituals, and moments where music transcends entertainment. Simzea taps into this heritage and reshapes it for a modern, international audience.

The track’s structure is deliberate and unhurried. A clicking rhythm sets the tempo in the opening seconds, like a countdown to something brewing beneath the surface. A progressive piano glides in, understated at first, gradually building in intensity. At 1:21, the drum click drops out, leaving the piano to float unaccompanied, its softness sharpening the listener’s focus. Just past the two-minute mark, the click returns, reestablishing the groove. The pattern repeats later in the track, with another pause at 3:57 before the drums return again at 4:27, carrying the song to its 5:21 conclusion. These moments of absence are not breaks in energy but invitations to lean in, to notice the textures at play.

Rather than layering the production with unnecessary clutter, Ngoma finds strength in clarity. Every element feels intentional. The percussion is warm and grounded, the synth textures are immersive without overpowering, and the balance between space and sound is handled with a producer’s restraint. It is a track that trusts its groove and allows the listener to live inside it.

Simzea’s path to this moment has been defined by quiet but relentless work. She first appeared as a co-producer on Balor’s Come Back to Me in October 2022, a track that hinted at her atmospheric sensibilities. Since then, she has co-produced and written songs for several projects by both underground and well-known artists, further refining her craft. She has played everywhere from Lagos, Abuja, to Benin City, with her performance at Felabration 2021 marking her as a name to watch.

Her influences are wide-ranging. She draws from the Amapiano dynamism of Uncle Waffles, the stripped-back power of Charlotte de Witte, and the hypnotic pull of Nina Kraviz, while also carrying ambitions to one day work with Tiwa Savage, Simi, and Beyoncé. Her focus on collaborations is strategic, viewing features not just as creative opportunities but as key steps in building her artistic identity.

Ngoma works because it understands both where it comes from and where it wants to go. It nods to the drum as the original heartbeat of the dance floor while framing it within a sleek, modern house aesthetic. This balance makes it as suited to a deep club set in London as to an outdoor night in Lagos. It moves bodies without shouting for attention, its confidence resting in the slow, magnetic pull of its rhythm.

For Simzea, Ngoma is not just another release. It is a refinement of her sonic language, a statement of her ability to merge tradition with innovation. Listening to the day after its release, it is easy to imagine this track finding a home in playlists, DJ sets, and dance spaces across continents. The drum here is not just percussion. It is connection, it is heritage, and in Simzea’s hands, it is the future.