Shimza: Performing Artist in New York

About Shimza

Shimza is the stage name of Kholofelo Ashley Raphala, a South African DJ and producer who came up in Tembisa and began pursuing music seriously as a teenager. His work sits in the Afro-house continuum, drawing on afro tech, 3-step, and gqom while keeping the mix focused on long, incremental shifts rather than quick drops. In New York City he has appeared on bills at Knockdown Center and Somewhere Nowhere NYC, sharing lineups with artists such as Jamie Jones, KI/KI, and Ben Klock. His performances favor momentum and rhythmic detail over spectacle.