'Thato’ is here! Kelvin Momo drops new album just before Red Bull Symphonic confirmation

The people’s favourite Amapiano DJ and music producer, Kelvin Momo, released his highly anticipated album, “Thato”, on Friday, May 30. 

Like most of his body of work, “Thato” is a masterful blend of Amapiano and jazz, which creates a deeply emotional and evocative sound that resonates with his fans.

The opening track, titled “Buya”, features the late vocal powerhouse, Yallunder, with whom Momo has worked on previous albums.

The 29-track album features an array of talented vocalists, each bringing their unique style and energy to the table. With its rich instrumentation and heartfelt lyrics, the album has already won the hearts of many.

This is the “Emaphupheni” hitmaker’s seventh solo studio album; it comes after “Ntsako”, which he released in December 2024. His albums are always anticipated by his fans, who stay up until midnight to experience his artistry.

Given Momo’s track record of producing chart-topping hits and songs, the album is already climbing up the charts, surpassing track records that were held by his previous albums “Ntsako”, “Sewe”, “Kurhula” and “Amukelani”.

The album’s release comes at an interesting time, with speculation swirling about Momo’s involvement in the upcoming Red Bull Symphonic event. The event is scheduled to take place on June 6, 7, and 8. He was announced as the headliner in April.

However, before the release of “Thato”, Momo archived all mentions of the Red Bull Symphonic event from his Instagram feed, including the link to purchase tickets from his bio. This was picked up by a fan who took to X to share the news.

This move has sparked rumours that he might not perform at the event as previously announced. However, all is well, as it turned out that he was just archiving posts in preparation for the release of “Thato”.

The scepticism from fans comes after the Amapiano sensation missed three gigs, citing health issues. Last week, he was booked to play at Cafe 69, Piano Hub and Makubenjalo but later released a statement explaining why he could not make it.

Concerns about his reliability have been growing among his fans as they questioned if he will show up at the scheduled Red Bull Symphonic event. Rightfully so, since there have been more incidents of him missing performances he had been booked for.

In May, it was reported that the 31-year-old DJ is facing a financial threat after Australian firm Ace Events filed court documents seeking the liquidation of his company, “Kelvin Momo Productions”. 

The claim alleges that his company owes up to R2.8 million in refunds and damages due to his failure to perform at two scheduled shows in Australia last year.