The Godfathers of Deep House SA

Origin

Biography

The Godfathers of Deep House SA: Where Nostalgia Saves the Dancefloor

In 2018, an album titled The Story of the Godfathers Vol 1 landed on digital platforms, carrying a sound that had nothing in common with trendy house music. No aggressive drops, no sonic fireworks: just deep pads, caressing basslines, and melodies that remind us that the dancefloor is, at its core, a place of memory as much as it is a party. In the already rich landscape of South African deep house, a discreet project born in Pretoria gradually imposes its vision: nostalgia as the compass.

In Brief


Project Name	The Godfathers of Deep House SA
Founders	Masia Mashapa (a.k.a. Masia the Godfather), Victor Ngcongwana (a.k.a. DJ Spring)
Origin	Pretoria, South Africa
Genre	“Nostalgic” Deep House
Label	Godfada Recording Label (Pty) Ltd · Your Deep Is Not My Deep (Pty) Ltd
Signature Works	The Story of the Godfathers Vol 1, Go Nostalgic or Go Home, God’s Anthems
Cited Influence	Frankie Knuckles, pioneer of house music

Key Dates

Year	Event
~2015	Creation of the project in Pretoria by Masia Mashapa and Victor Ngcongwana
2015	Launch of the Godfada Recording Label
2018	Release of The Story of the Godfathers Vol 1 and first international recognition
2019-2023	Explosion of the Go Nostalgic or Go Home series (seven volumes)
2025	Release of God’s Anthems and renewal of the catalogue
2026	Release of The Science of Deep House and The 2nd Commandment Chapter 1; presence at Crypto Fest

Sound Collectors

Masia Mashapa, nicknamed “The Godfather,” is above all a lover of music and a collector of dissonances and melodies. Before launching into production, he accumulates influences—from classic house to tropical sounds—and develops a keen ear for what instantly captivates in a track. Victor Ngcongwana, alias DJ Spring, is his childhood friend. Also passionate, he quickly recognized the project’s potential and proposed a partnership: “a childhood friend who saw the vision and believed in it,” Masia would later say. Together, the two men decided to build a movement, not just a discography. Their motto, engraved on every cover: “Where words fail, our music speaks.”

Nostalgia as a Movement

The fruit of this alliance, The Godfathers of Deep House SA established itself as a response to instrumental and dehumanized house: sensual basslines, ethereal choruses, samples of jazz and soul that recall the nineties and the golden age of London and New York clubs. “Influenced by figures like Frankie Knuckles,” they say, borrowing from the first architect of house music the principles of contemplative groove.

As early as 2018, The Story of the Godfathers Vol 1 confirmed the ambition: tracks like “Blazing” or “Deeper State” outline an immediate aesthetic, that of active nostalgia, which invites dreaming while dancing. The series that followed—Go Nostalgic or Go Home, The 2nd Commandment, God’s Anthems—refined this writing. Each volume functions as a capsule: the same ingredients are found, always rearranged.

Beyond Music

The project does not stop at its releases. From the beginning, Masia and Victor designed an ecosystem: an online radio station (24/7 with professional mixes), a mobile app to listen anywhere, an online store, and a YouTube channel. The Godfather Money Team Album is released every year, and public appearances—such as the visit to Sheer Music Publishing offices in Africa or presence at Crypto Fest 2026—allow them to weave a solid network. Their philosophy is clear: music as a force of healing and unification, a language that abolishes differences.

Major Works

Work	Year	Why It’s Essential
The Story of the Godfathers Vol 1	2018	First manifesto of the duo’s “nostalgic” sound, introduced their signature melodic touch
Go Nostalgic or Go Home (series)	2019-2023	Eight volumes that refine and repeat the style in a loop—depth as mantra
God’s Anthems	2025	Reaffirmation of the hymnic side, pads that call for transcendence

Legacy and Influence

The Godfathers of Deep House SA have never sought the front pages of international magazines, but their footprint on South African deep house is real: in 2026, Muso.ai ranks them among the top 1% of artists and the top 10% of producers, an indirect indicator of their streaming popularity. Their most durable contribution likely lies in this reinvention of nostalgia—not as a retreat into the past, but as creative material, a blend of house soul and African melodies that tells the audience: “Here, you can dream, and you can also dance.”