Apple Music announces Sfarzo Rtee as the latest Isgubhu cover star

Today, Apple Music has announced Amapiano DJ and producer, Sfarzo Rtee (real name Rethabile Setwaba) as the next Isgubhu cover star.

“Being featured on the Apple Music Isgubhu cover for April fills me with immense gratitude,” he tells Apple Music. “It’s an incredible opportunity to share my music and connect with a diverse audience. I’m thankful for the platform’s recognition of my work, and I’m excited to continue spreading my passion for music to listeners around the world.”

Polokwane-born Sfarzo Rtee is known for his meticulous attention to detail when it comes to the crafting of his hit songs. Having made his mark on the highly contested Amapiano scene at the tender age of 19, by becoming one of the youngest DJs to play Boiler Room in Johannesburg, his breakout debut album, It Was Never The Same (2021), saw him fuse Amapiano with deep house to produce a soulful, more melodic version of the genre.

His follow up albums  House of Sgija (2022) andHouse of Sgija II (2023), shone a spotlight on Amapiano subgenre, Sgija, composed mainly of instrumentals with no toplines and accompanied by percussion and rattling bass lines and made him a household name, packing out Soweto’s iconic Zone 6 venue for his House of Sgija launch album at 21.

On his latest album The New Testament (2024), available to stream on Apple Music, the Amapiano producer experiments with Afro-soul, gospel and strings, crafting an album that is deftly textured and was received warmly by his audience, wracking up over 2 million streams across platforms in the first two weeks of its release.

To celebrate his feature, Sfarzo Rtee has also created an exclusive Isgubhu playlist that details the producer’s extensive industry journey, from his hometown of Polokwane, to the main stage of Afronation in Portugal. “The selection of my songs is meant to take the listener through a journey of my life. The playlist kicks off with a slow tone that indicates a time of difficulty, depicting a time where I was attempting to get my music out there. As you listen to the playlist you’ll find a change in the feel, in a sense that the mood begins to lift significantly, describing a time of joy which was reflected by the way my music had reached people, not just the fans, but big names in the industry as well.”

“The playlist is meant to tell a story with each song, signifying a certain moment in my life all leading up to where I am today. And having been included on the Isgubhu playlist, on one of the biggest streaming music platforms in the world, is such a celebratory moment for me, especially considering the other artists that I get to share this with,” he says.

Launched in early 2021, Isgubhu is the definitive home of African Dance and Electronic music on Apple Music and spotlights and elevates the work of African Electronic DJs, producers and creatives. Isgubhu, a Zulu word meaning beat and used to refer to a banging song, pays homage to an evergreen set of genres and the African artists who have played a pivotal role in shaping the Dance and Electronic scene across the world.

Isgubhu also houses a collection of playlists including Spotlight On–a focus on boutique labels like Soul Candi, House Afrika, Stay True Sounds and Uganda’s Hakuna Kulala & Nyege Nyege Tapes and Isgubhu Voices–a focus on the best Dance and Electronic tracks that feature vocals.

Check out Isgubhu only on Apple Music at  http://apple.co/Isgubhu.