SOULED OUT

Words: Nhlanhla Masemola | Images: Supplied

Great things are on the horizon for Elaine Mukheli. After releasing her debut EP Elements at the end of last year, the smooth ensemble made her the first independent woman artist in South Africa to reach number one on the Apple Music album charts. If you’re not familiar with her or her work, then now’s the perfect time to get on board. The 20-year-old manages to juggle school as a law student while making time to do what she’s been doing since she was six years old – and make it look and sound so easy. With a mixture of touching R&B and cool trap soul, her music is imbued with an emotional maturity and warmth well beyond her years. It's damn good to listen to. Introducing, Elaine.

So, first of all, how are you doing during these very strange times? Many people are cooking, cleaning or throwing themselves into their work to cope. What are you doing to manage?

I'm trying to take it one day at a time, trying to keep myself as busy as possible, but I'm also okay with not being productive. It sort of feels like a competition on who can be the most productive and what you can get done during these times. I’m sort of in the middle and, whatever I feel on that particular day, I'm just going with it. I write music every day and I'm focusing on school, attending online lectures, taking notes, putting together all my files for exams. I'm just really trying to keep up with myself and everything that I'm interested in, but definitely prioritising music and school.

And how has it been having to juggle music and school?

It's required a lot of discipline, I won't lie, but I enjoy it, y’know? Because I love law and I love music. Believe it or not, those two actually go hand in hand. I'm always interested in learning and finding out new things. And it's been great, but quite tiring. I get less time to rest and take care of myself, but I think it's gonna be worth it.

Does it bother you when people say that your music doesn't sound South African?

Looking at it from a broader perspective, it’s definitely bothersome, because it feels as if music is put into a box according to where you're from. Music is way more than that, it's universal. This idea that good music can only be from a particular place is killing music consumption and hurting a lot of artists as well. There are so many amazing artists who have the potential to be known globally, but there's a perception of African artists and only being good enough for Africa. It's very frustrating. I've got a lot of people I speak to who do alternative music, rock, pop or house and they always feel as if they're kept in a specific box and the minute they try to expand, people feel like they're not being themselves and that's not the case. Times are changing and music is constantly evolving. We can't all make music the same way. Not every R&B artist needs to sing in an indigenous language, etc. And those are some of the things that are expected by some of the music consumers in our country. What does South African music sound like? Is there a blueprint? There isn't.

How would you describe your music to anyone who hasn’t heard it before?

Very honest, very warm, quite nostalgic.

And what led you to music?

I've been in the choir since I was six years old. I always wanted to sing R&B. I grew up listening to it and have so much respect for the genre. I think it's so delicate and it must be treated as such. You’ve got to take your time and it needs to be honest – it shouldn't be forced or calculated.

Take us through some of your inspirations when it comes to making music...

Ah, my inspirations! I've got Brenda Fassie, I've got Lebo Mathosa, Jill Scott, Beyoncé. Whitney Houston is probably my biggest inspiration. Maxwell, Angie Stone, Lauryn Hill. I draw inspiration from different people from all over the world, but these black women are definitely the ones.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I'm listening to a lot of playlists that my friends have put together, because I've got the time. They've got a lot of Snoh Aalegra and Summer Walker. There’s a lot of amapiano that I'm enjoying as well.

What’s your opinion on the state of R&B music in South Africa, especially being a young brown woman?

There have been so many artists who have contributed to the movement. Every artist has done their part and I'm glad to finally be doing mine. Entering the music industry, I always feared that R&B would be a sideline genre and there wouldn't be as much attention on it as all the other genres. I constantly feel like there's a battle of the genres in South Africa, It’s either hip hop or it's rap or amapiano or house. And I just wish to see an era where all these genres coexist. It's slowly coming into existence. I think we're doing pretty well. There are black women at the forefront, which makes me happy. And I've received nothing but love from them, which is even better, because sometimes people can be weird and not want to involve you in the spaces that they're in. But so far, it's great.

Let’s talk about your brilliant EP Elements. Why the name?

I call it Elements, because I was focusing on the different elements of love. The good, the bad, the toxic, the healthy, the different elements that I've experienced.

Were there any particular challenges with putting it together?

Definitely. The whole process was a challenge, because I was doing it independently. Finding the right producers (again, going back to the issue of producers not exactly wanting to produce R&B, because they felt at that particular time that it wasn’t a popular genre). And I was discouraged by a lot of people saying, “No, don't do this, it’s not going to work.” Now the narrative has changed and they're coming back to me in abundance. When I was looking and asking for them, no one wanted to be a part of the conversation. And it just goes back to the main issue of people thinking that African people need to produce a certain type of music.

Finally, what’s been the highlight of your career so far?

How everything has turned out exactly how I prayed that it would – and even better – over 10 years ago. The highlight has been seeing everything unfold before my eyes, seeing my parents see it unfold, having the opportunity and the privilege to celebrate it with them and to make them proud. And it's only the beginning.

Stream Elements on Spotify and Apple Music. Watch Elaine's new music video for You're the One below.