Award-winning Afropop singer Naima Kay continues to push musical boundaries. The Port Shepstone-born star recently featured on maskandi artist Mjabulisi’s song Sponono, alongside Ntencane, marking an exciting crossover moment in her career.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Naima said the collaboration happened organically and felt like perfect timing. “Mjabulisi was in the studio putting the final touches on his song when I happened to walk in. He asked for my thoughts on the song and whether I’d like to jump on it, which I did. Maskandi is a huge genre, so it felt right,” she said.
Naima, who has built a solid reputation in Afropop and soul, has been steadily releasing new music. Her recent offerings include Esifubeni Sami featuring Mnqobi Yazo, as well as Oxygen, a collaboration with Zakwethu, both released this year.
Beyond new music, the singer is gearing up for a busy festive season. She is among the South African artists set to grace the stage at the Durban Jazz Festival on December 26 at Umgababa Coastal Resort. The festival boasts an exciting line-up that includes The Soil, Zama Jobe, Mafikizolo and several other top acts.
Looking ahead, Naima said she is preparing to drop a new studio album early next year, and fans can expect a fresh sound: “I’m dropping an album early next year with my new producers, also from KwaZulu-Natal. They’re super talented. We even added some new sounds on the album, like 3-step and a little bit of maskandi, to mention a few.”
She couldn’t hide her excitement about her new creative team, giving special praise to producer BabOmcane and songwriter Zakwethu. “I love and enjoy working with them. It’s like I’ve found myself the new Robbie Malinga and Mjakes. People must remember these names: BabOmcane is the producer and Zakwethu is a songwriter.”
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