Making big Noise in her own way
SolodebutSolodebut takestakessingersinger back to her African roots
The Noisettes’ bass-playing singer Shingai Shoniwa has always been a culturecrossing musical livewire – a vibrantly talented black woman shaking up the moribund white boy world of indie rock.
Now her barnstorming live performances and collaborations with the likes of Annie Lennox, Dizzee Rascal and even Sir Paul McCartney, have led the way to a full-length first solo album, Too Bold.
And it’s a scintillating debut from a singer with an insatiable appetite for what she calls genre fluidity.
“I’ve always been inspired by African melodies that, in my humble opinion, underpin quite a lot of pop music we continue to appreciate today,” she explains.
“I definitely feel like I’m one of the most versatile voices in pop music.
This album has given me space to really enjoy the music, push myself and go deep.”
On last year’s Ancient Futures EP, together with The Noisettes’ guitarist Dan Smith (“we’re still like family”), Shingai forged a new musical template, inspired by the band playing at festivals in Shingai’s parents’ Southern African homeland.
Too Bold takes that blend – of modern tech and traditional African instrumentation
– further with her most personal songs to date.
“I’ve really gone into my feelings from childhood,” she says.
“The song Ghost Town is about the trauma of losing a parent at about nine. Growing up, I experienced so much loss of family members who’d been really affected by postcolonialism, trying to get some freedom so children like me could have an opportunity to live our best lives.”
She’s now on her own independent label after experiencing restrictions with The Noisettes on a major label.
But even then she blazed her own path – and after the band’s single Sister Rosetta (Capture the Spirit) in 2007 in tribute to guitar playing gospel star Sister Rosetta Tharpe, it caught the attention of Sir Paul. He told Shingai: “If you were serious about making music in the 60s you never missed her shows”. Citing mould-breakers such as Sade, Lauryn Hill and Tracy Chapman as inspirational, Shingai shows she has the goods to back her confidence on Too Bold. “I really feel like everything needs a shake-up,” she says. “There’s a bit of a hangover from the days of the old boys’ club. There’s a new sheriff in town.” Too Bold is released October 12
I definitely feel like I’m one of the most versatile voices in pop