Sketchy Bongo

Sketchy Bongo is the masked alter ego of DJ/producer Yuvir Pillay, who hails from the city of Durban in eastern South Africa and has honed a signature sound anchored in pop, hip-hop, and house music. Pillay, born in 1989, began producing hip-hop when he was 13 years old, collaborating with renowned rappers Skwatta Kamp and Pro Kid before finishing high school. Early influences from Kanye West and The Neptunes manifest on the unrelenting, elastic percussion of “Sniff Sniff” and “Paul Walker,” from his 2015 Revival EP. He later broke into hedonistic EDM with soaring club banger “On Fire” and Afrobeat-soaked “Melody.” Sketchy Bongo's 2016 single “Let You Know,” with soul vocalist Shekhinah, became a runaway hit receiving extensive play on the BBC and gaining the producer a record deal with dance juggernauts Ultra Music. Building community has been a hallmark of Pillay's career, as he frequently honors his heritage and spotlights rising talent as part of The Wolfpack collective.