SAI HLE performs at Red Bull Symphonic as duo prepares new music release

The duo, comprising sisters Siphosethu and Amahle Koom, performed vocals on Sun-El Musician's track Koyika during the event, which took place at Montecasino on 13 and 14 June.

This year’s Red Bull Symphonic, themed Afro-house, Our Home, featured a collaboration between house music producer Sun-El Musician and Dlala Thukzin. Their music was reinterpreted by conductor Chad Hendricks and the Red Bull Symphonic Orchestra.

According to organisers, the event marked the first time two headline artists shared the stage in the global Red Bull Symphonic series. The second night was also broadcast live on SABC 1, making it the first edition of the event to be carried live by a national broadcaster.

For SAI HLE, the performance represented the largest audience and platform of their career to date.

Born in Gqeberha and raised between the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, the sisters began singing at an early age after being introduced to music through church choirs. Their professional career started in 2021 and has since included collaborations with artists such as Karyendasoul, BokkieUlt and Marcus Harvey.

The duo also completed a six-month performance residency in Spain and, in 2024, signed a global recording agreement with Platoon.

Reflecting on their appearance at Red Bull Symphonic, the sisters said the occasion marked an important milestone in their development as artists.

“Standing on that stage, with an orchestra behind us and the whole country watching, felt like every choir rehearsal and every late night finally meant something,” said SAI HLE. “We have always believed that from little, much can come. This was that belief made real. To everyone who found us through ‘Koyika’: welcome. There is so much more coming.”

Their manager, Phenyo Kgaffe, said the performance reflected years of work behind the scenes.

“SAI HLE have done the unglamorous work for years, the features, the choirs, the rooms that do not make headlines,” said Kgaffe. “Red Bull Symphonic is the stage that matches the talent. What people saw on that broadcast is not a beginning. It is a duo arriving exactly on time.”

The performance generated reactions from viewers on the event's livestream, with many commenting that it was their first introduction to the duo.

SAI HLE are expected to release a new single in August, followed by additional releases and a debut EP as part of a programme of activities planned across Africa and Europe between 2026 and 2027. Their current single, UBUMNND, is available on digital streaming platforms.