Moonchild Sanelly

Determinedly doing things her own way and standing up for what she believes in has long been ingrained in the psyche of trailblazing South African musician Moonchild Sanelly, whose drive to succeed has been fuelled by personal pain and trauma.

It didn’t take long until she established her own signature sound: self-described as ‘future-ghetto-funk’, it would catapult Moonchild Sanelly to become South Africa’s most unique performer. Having crafted an electrifying live show - and designed flamboyant outfits to perform in - she became a superstar on her home turf. But she soon felt as though she had “reached my ceiling; my style of music was being ostracised - because I wasn’t being understood with what I was doing”.

Instead of limiting her reach, however, she took a commercialised approach to unapologetically spreading her message - one 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”. In line with her manifested vision, she found a global audience that gravitated towards her and began spreading her ethos to women around the world, performing at festivals such as SXSW, Primavera, Glastonbury, Boardmasters,

It’s rare that an alternative artist finds such vast success in a commercial space, without having to dilute anything about them, but Moonchild Sanelly is a true fighter and the antithesis of average: “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 arguably made her the outspoken artist she would become: since her award-winning first album ‘Rabulpha!’ put her on the global map, she has collaborated with local favourites Maphorisa, Sho Madjozi and Thandiswa Mazwai.

“Moonchild Sanelly oozes star quality” – The Guardian

​“’...the most potent example of her creativity yet, combining galloping rhythms of gqom with a full-bodied rave sound & hypnotic vocals” – Complex

​"one of the most buzzed-about performers” – Conde Nast