LUUKHANYO, from Gugulethu, feels blessed to be performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival at the convention centre at the end of the month.
Image: Supplied
Genre-shifting artist LUUKHANYO, who blends contemporary R&B, hip-hop, funk, jazz, soul, and poetic vulnerability, says performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is a career milestone.
"The jazz fest is an iconic brand on its own, and to find myself on this platform is nothing but a blessing," he said.
LUUKHANYO, who lives in Brooklyn but was raised in Gugulethu, will be performing at the festival at Cape Town International Convention Centre on the Manenberg stage on Saturday, March 28, after 8pm.
His lyrics often serve as a diary of his life, tackling complex themes like the tension between ambition and identity, the pursuit of success, and the need for emotional honesty.
He said it was an honour for his voice to be heard, as he speaks on behalf of his audience who relate to the issues he raises in his music.
"I speak to truth, and my music is representative of the diverse city in which we live," he said.
"Shape-shifting" artist LUUKHANYO (often stylized as @luukhanyoisart) whose sound mixes contemporary R&B, funk, and jazz will be performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
Image: Supplied
LUUKHANYO said Cape Town is considered a first-world city, but this often comes at the expense of the "little man," whose voice is not always heard.
"My music accounts for the human experience, which is a complex thing, because as humans we have a range of emotions and experiences, which are not at all the same for every person. While there may be many things dividing us, there are also things to unite us and to inspire us," he said.
LUUKHANYO said his performance would be an experience of hip-hop, jazz, and funk infusions, which have not been seen before and will never be repeated.
He categorises his work as authentic and representative of the community he comes from.
He first entered the public imagination in 2022 with Hii ROLLER, a breakout single now standing at over 3 million streams across platforms.
The song marked the beginning of a new chapter for LUUKHANYO, leading to an Eastern European tour with his live band, The Hii ROLLERS, signaling the start of a growing interest in his work.
In 2025, he stepped into his most ambitious phase with the release of his debut album, LUCKY UU, on November 7, last year.
The project deepened his exploration of identity, ambition, and emotional complexity.
Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) will be at Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28.
Image: File
Its lead single, Open Casket, arrived in June 2025, carrying themes of risk, self-reinvention, and the cost of aspiration.
Critics drew attention to the track’s emotional clarity and understated boldness, with BBC Radio 1 host Sian Eleri, noting how naturally his sound seems to sit alongside global genre-benders, artists like Thundercat, Anderson.
Paak, Tyler, The Creator, and SZA, a reflection of how expansive his musical direction feels on this new chapter.
As his artistry has evolved, his digital audience has grown in tandem.
Throughout 2025, more listeners and viewers found their way to his work, reflected in a steady rise across platforms.
With more than 50 000 monthly listeners on Spotify, 8 800 Instagram followers with 800 000 monthly views, 11 200 TikTok followers with over a million views, and an emerging YouTube presence with 1 300 subscribers and 130 000 views.
His YouTube following increased by 120 percent, and his Instagram community by 92 percent, signaling a deepening connection with his music rather than sudden virality.