Okay Kaya

On her newest album, the essentials hold: the playfulness borne of precision, the light touch over heavy matters. At both the peak and trough of the sound wave, Kaya has found a new ease: ‘My Berenice’ and ‘Help, I’ve Been Put Into Context!’ find her stripped-back, almost serene; on ‘Spacegirl,’ she’s further out than she’s been before. And in the space between, she’s found a meeting point: whether pulsing or plaintiff, the songs in this latest release are at once melodic and meditative. On Sap she played conductor; this time, Okay Kaya has everything she needs: gentle strings and a hovering bass set the scene, and her voice, her vessel, is centre-stage. Credit: Sazi Bongwe