What a time to be alive in South Africa right now—well, at least in the context of the emergence of new sounds, genres, and artists. Like many others, I was introduced to Keyywav through the viral song “Sthandwa Sam’,” which has since gone triple platinum on my Apple Music—along with the rest of his discography.

Keyywav, a music producer from Durban now based in Johannesburg, has been making waves on SoundCloud for a while and is now stepping into the mainstream. He works closely with vocalists such as Liindor, Ovuyonke, and his main collaborator, Enocs Mae.

With songs like “Thandolwethu,” “SOUR,” and “Ijuphane” gaining traction, the duo decided to officially release a collaborative EP titled “Isigaba”—which translates to “a phase.” It’s a beautiful curation (or should I say rendition) of love, heartbreak, and everything in between. Having had the honour of listening to the EP and hearing what sparked each track during their listening session in their hometown, I can safely say: the project was masterfully put together.

The EP features a range of collaborators, including Liindor, uShugela, Keamogetswe, uMntungwaMbulazi, ZRi, Shimii, as well as producers Fiji Mageba, Lesedi Madiba, and theonlyblckid.

Keyywav and Enocs Mae create music that doesn’t quite fall under any existing genre. Instead, they’ve coined their own: R&Bhinca—a seamless marriage of R&B and Bhinca music. Not only is the sound innovative in its own right, but it’s also been steadily producing a number of gems.

Sithanda ukunethulela our first body of work as Enocs Mae & Keyywav. It’s been a beautiful journey so far thank you all for uthando & support.

– Enocs Mae & Keyywav