Scoring goals in sound: MOREKI’s journey from film composer to Orlando Pirates anthem maker

No soccer match is complete without the sounds of igwijo.

Igwijo is a South African cultural practice where an a cappella group sings in a call-and-response style.

The chants and rhythms of igwijo are deeply rooted in community and celebration, and they have found their way into modern music, film and sports culture.

One of the South African artists bringing igwijo and local sounds to wider audiences is Kagiso Moreki, professionally known as MOREKI.

He is a music producer, multi-instrumentalist and award-winning film scorer from Munsieville, Krugersdorp.  

MOREKI has built a reputation for innovative dance and amapiano productions and for blending genres, establishing himself as one of SA’s creative musical talents. 

He has created soundtracks for the iconic Orlando Pirates documentary series.

His track “Kancane Kancane” became the lead single from the Orlando Pirates BucsCamp Gwitjo soundtrack and went viral on social media platforms.

The song captured the spirit of the club’s supporters and introduced many fans to MOREKI’s unique approach to music for football culture.

His musical journey began in church as a keyboard player.

He explained, “It all started in church. I was a keyboard player, and from there I started to learn how to produce my own music. While producing, I experimented with many genres like amapiano, afro soul, afro pop and hip hop.

His versatility helped him transition into scoring for film and television.

“That’s what made me become interested in the industry of film scoring. That’s how I got the job from Leburugraphy Pictures. They gave me my first TV job to do music for their films,” said MOREKI.

His work with Orlando Pirates came through his connections in film scoring.

“On the streets, people knew me for amapiano. Orlando Pirates saw my work through Leburugraphy Pictures, where I was doing music for films. That’s how I got linked there. Doing music for their documentaries has been a great journey. It’s been amazing,” MOREKI added.

He has composed music for two Orlando Pirates documentaries, collaborating closely with vocalists such as Smanga, Gift Tonic and Soultaker.

MOREKI described the creative process: “The Pirates director, Sindisiwe Khumalo-Sibisi, would send me a brief of how they wanted their music to sound. The first project, I wasn’t clued up on how soundtracks worked or how the films were received in the stadiums. I was focused on the music side.”

The first release received feedback from fans, particularly about the drum patterns.

“Most of the critics said there was a big shortage of drums. That’s when I started to understand the Orlando Pirates fan base and how they sing in stadiums. At first, I was scoring from my film experience."

"The emotion was there, but I wasn’t in touch with the supporters. After the feedback, I tried to adjust the music for future projects,” he said.

This understanding shaped his work on the Orlando Pirates BucsCamp project, celebrating the team’s four-peat MTN8 victory.

“I then did the latest songs for the BucsCamp, and they created a lot of buzz. I’m now more clued up with what Orlando Pirates fans want. I now understand how they sing, how they want their production and how the drums should be."

"After this release, fans were responding to the songs. I didn’t see any negative comments. The fans were connected to the emotion, the production and the vocals,” MOREKI explained.

The project has become popular on social media, including TikTok and Facebook.

MOREKI’s work extends beyond sports. He has produced for television shows such as “The Butcher’s Soul” and several of Mzansi’s movies through Leburugraphy.

His contributions have earned him recognition in the industry.

MOREKI has won the Miami Indie Film Award for Best Music Composer and has also won the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) Film Scoring Competition.