Something exciting is about to unfold. The arrival of the Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek on African soil promises a rare cultural experience where music, art, food and wine come together in celebration of creativity.

The line-up reads like a global cultural exchange. Artists such as Salif Keita, Robert Glasper alongside Bilal, Thandiswa Mazwai, Vusi Mahlasela and Madala Kunene will be performing on stages designed for discovery.

Among the performances already drawing curiosity is Entropy, a collaborative EP created by Msaki and Jesse Clegg.

Speaking ahead of the festival, Msaki describes the performance as part of a growing shift in how festivals and artists work together.

“Festivals are becoming more open,” she says. “They ask what you’re working on and what’s exciting you right now. This gave me the freedom to present my new project Entropy.”

Rather than repeating the same touring sets audiences have already seen, artists are increasingly invited to bring something bespoke to the stage.

Unpacking Entropy

The newly released EP Entropy unfolds with emotional honesty. Each song carries warmth and lyrical depth that Msaki’s audience have come to recognise, while Jesse Clegg’s vocals introduce a different musical texture.

Across the music industry, artists are experimenting with smaller, more focused bodies of work that allow ideas to exist without the pressure of stretching them across a full-length album.

For Msaki, the format created space for vulnerability.

“Sometimes songwriting feels like offering up thoughts that could be in a diary,” she says. “But once the music exists, it takes on its own life. People find themselves inside it.”

The emotional depth of the project becomes clear through its song titles. Tracks such as How Dare You arrive with confrontational sharpness, while See Me Through introduces a softer emotional landscape. Each title hints at the emotional territory listeners are about to enter.

“It’s almost like the title prepares you for the journey,” Msaki explains. “It gives you a feeling before the song even begins.”

Finding Its Audience

Through Entropy, listeners are discovering both artists in new ways.

“There are people hearing me for the first time and people hearing Jesse for the first time,” Msaki says. “Some people are like, ‘Who is this white guy?’ and others are asking, ‘What is this weird project?’ It’s a nice surprise when people discover new music that way.”

Msaki believes audiences are more open-minded than ever and will welcome the EP’s genre-blending sound.

“South Africans are very open to different genres,” she says. “We’re very musical people.”

Streaming platforms and the internet have widened musical tastes, particularly among younger listeners who explore sounds across genres and continents.

Music That Expands on Stage

Festivals create an environment where music can breathe differently. A song that feels reflective in headphones expands when performed on stage, shaped by the reactions of the crowd and the atmosphere of the moment.

While Entropy works beautifully as a listening experience, Msaki believes the songs will evolve once they reach the stage.

“Live performance changes everything,” she says. “A song that feels quiet in the studio can become something completely different when you’re sharing it with people .”

A Moment Worth Experiencing

Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek promises the kind of musical encounters that linger long after the final note fades, and Msaki is ready for that exchange.

“There’s always something exciting about live music,” she says.