Determinedly doing things her own way has long been ingrained in the psyche of trailblazing South African musician Moonchild Sanelly, whose drive to succeed has been fuelled by personal pain.
Growing up in Port Elizabeth with a hip-hop producer brother and a mum who encouraged her onstage from a young age, Sanelisiwe Twisha’s music-filled childhood was full of creativity. Whether it was self-choreographing dance routines to Spice Girls tracks, teaching herself to play the piano, singing at church with her family, or starting to write poetry, expression and being artistically free was always encouraged.
Her passion for music further ignited when she moved to Durban to study fashion and found herself able to turn her hand to any musical genre. She quickly immersed herself in the buzzing Durban music scene. Later relocating to Johannesburg, Moonhcild Sanelly found herself in a bigger scene where she would battle misogynistic attitudes. “In my writing, I would pay homage to my hard times and the many years that I struggled, because it has shaped me,” she says.
She established her signature sound- ‘future-ghetto-funk’ – that would catapult Moonchild Sanelly to superstardom on her home turf. Instead of resting on her laurels, she continued to unapologetically spread the message of female sexual empowerment: “liberation for women, in the bedroom, in the boardroom, knowing your power… I needed to
be heard by a lot of people”. And began taking this to global festivals such as SXSW, Primavera, Glastonbury, Boardmasters, Afronation and Meltdown.
It’s rare that an alternative artist finds such vast success in a commercial space, without having to dilute themselves, but Moonchild Sanelly is a true fighter: “I fought everything for me to exist as myself and to win as myself,” she says, putting her ambition down to her mum’s passing when she was a teenager. “I was constantly reminded about my magic and my power… that nothing is impossible.”
This mentally-empowered upbringing and many hardships made her the outspoken artist she would become. Periods of intense hardship have been channelled into the depths of Moonchild Sanelly’s music. From the early death of her mother, sexual assault, experiencing homelessness with newborn twins, almost dying of malaria, and having her entire earnings stolen by an associate – every time, she has gotten back up, faced her demons, and channelled her
struggle into her music. Her ability to write both deep lyrics and fun catchy hooks has caught the attention of a host of international superstars (she is likely to be one of your favourite artists’ favourite artists;).
Since her award-winning debut album ‘Rabulpha!’ put her on the map, a host of high-profile international collaborations have spawned the start of Moonchild Sanelly’s quest of global domination. Collaborations so far include Wizkid, Major Lazer & Diplo, Beyonce (‘My Power’) and Gorillaz (‘With Love To An Ex’).
Signing to London label Transgressive records, Moonchild Sanelly released EP ‘Nüdes’ and her genre-crossing second album, ‘Phases’. The album won worldwide critical acclaim and featured guest production & vocals from Ghetts, Sad Night Dynamite, Wesley Joseph, Xavier Thomas (Débruit) & TOKiMONSTA.
“The album inspiration came from being in a relationship that got me writing so much; there was a point where I messaged my manager to say ‘I’m sticking with this relationship until I finish the album because I’m getting so much content… I want people to relate to the stories I’m telling,” she says. Now working on her 3rd album and having released another collaboration with Ghetts (‘Laps’, out now on Warner) 2024 is sure to be Moonchild Sanelly’s biggest year yet.
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