When Halo Yagami made his debut back in 2022 with Usiba we knew that this guy was going places… big places.
Fast forward three years and he’s collaborated with the likes of Shekhinah, Maglera Doe Boy and Marcus Harvey, boasting over 700 000 streams across streaming platforms and a steady fan base that is only growing.
“I fell in love with my voice at the age of 15… that’s where it all started for me,” the unbreakable R&B crooner tells me. Real name Monde Ngcobo, he was born in KwaMashu, Durban, showing a keen interest for music from a very young age.
“I fell in love with my voice and with the art of production too,” he continues. “After my first Soundcloud drop in 2015, the real chats started. Things got serious and I felt that this could be my career one day.”
Drawing influence from the likes of Drake, Smino, Erykah Badu and Jhene Aiko, Ngcobo’s music effortlessly blends contemporary R&B tones with a soulful Afrobeats undercurrent. And his upcoming EP Umsoco, set for release this May, promises to be another exciting reiteration of his sound.
Meaning “nutrition” in English, Umsoco will pair old-school Maskandi tones with neo-soul and R&B. “Fans can expect to dance whilst falling in love,” Ngcobo tells me.
It think it’s fitting that this EP carries a message of nourishment; of sustenance. In a creative sense, it has certainly nurtured Ngcobo’s fledgling songwriting talents, and his knack for forward-thinking production too.
“Alive” – the first single from Umsoco – is a hint of what’s to come. Sultry vocal lines run wild, carrying a kind of joyous splendour with them, set to the rolling hum of a breezy Afro-House rhythm. It’s slow and gentle whilst at the same time groovy and sexy. What more do you want?
”Carefree. Experimental. Traditional. Those are the three words that best describe me as an artist,” he says, and I couldn’t agree more. Boldly merging past, present and future, Halo Yagami’s creative exploits are balanced by a deep devotion to his work, and the result feels wildly fresh, wildly exciting.
Poised for more, bigger collaborations this year, and both local and international tours, Ngcobo has crafted a sound that is brilliantly unique, and it’s going to go very far. Dare I say, we’re witnessing the birth of a star?
