Umlilo is a intergalactic shape-shifting kwaai diva and a genre and gender bending multi-disciplinary artist. The queer performer/music producer’s signature sound dubbed «future kwaai» explores and pushes the boundaries of electronic kwaito, alt-pop music in contemporary South Africa, and has been a regular fixture in the international music community. Umlilo merges an avant-garde aesthetic with technology, visual art, dance, film, and fashion design.

They have released two acclaimed visual EP’s that have been playlisted worldwide, received over 100,000 streams online and featured across film, art, literature, fashion, and music platforms. In 2017, Umlilo took their sound international with tours in North and South America and Europe with rap duo Stash Crew. Umlilo has released two EP’s Shades of Kwaai and Aluta available on Apple Music, Amazon, and most online music platforms. The EP was playlisted all over the world in countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, France, and USA. The debut single «Living Dangerously» off of Umlilo’s debut EP Shades of Kwaai was named one of Rolling Stone SA Magazine’s hottest singles of the month for May 2013 and featured in film While You Weren’t Looking and will be part of the BBC drama series Noughts and Crosses soundtrack.

Umlilo has given two TED talks titled «Technology rescitates art». «Magic Man», the first single off Aluta with a music video directed by Jasyn Howes debuted as part of Vitra Design Museum’s travelling exhibition titled Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design. It travelled all over Europe from Germany, Switzerland to Bilbao, Barcelona. It is also featured in a worldwide film exhibition and coffee table book Seismographic Sounds: Visions of a New World. The follow up single and music video «Chain Gang» was nominated for 6 Mercedes Benz Bokeh Fashion Film Awards. The next single «Reciprocity» exhibited at Explode! Exhibition in São Paulo, Brazil, and aired in USA TV channel KCNet. «Out of My Face» is currently showing at the Afro Futures exhibition at Kunstegewerbemuseum at Berlin’s Museum of Decorative Arts. The last visual single «Umzabalazo», debuted at Tedx Cape Town where Umlilo gave a talk and performance around music, technology, and activism.

They have performed on the same stages as Black Coffee, Thor Rixon, Petit Noir, Alok Vaid-Menon, Mykki blanco, Bongesizwe Mabandla, Beatenberg, and Nonku Phiri. Umlilo featured as one of the queer artist in I-D documentary Out of This World with Mykki Blanco and has been a 1Beat fellow with the US State Department. Umlilo has also released a single «Emoyeni» through Prohelvetica Johannesburg as a cross-collaboration with Sean K from Namibia. In 2019, Umlilo performed at the annual Afropunk Festival in Johannesburg.