Shishani

Shishani means ‘crown’ in one of Namibia's native languages. She is a uniquely versatile artist whose music transcends genres and cultures. Shishani is a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter loved for her soothing and powerful voice.
During her career, Shishani has received multiple awards and nominations and has toured internationally. Her roots are Namibian and Belgian, but she grew up mainly in the Netherlands. Through her work, these worlds come together. Her vocal sound has both a mystical lightness and the power to pierce the soul with the spirit of an activist that runs though her lyrics.

Achievements:
2012 - Song “Minority” nominated for 2 awards at Namibian Annual Music Awards
2012 - Winner “Last Band Standing”, Namibia
2013 - Winner Singer-Songwriter Competition “Mooie Noten” Amsterdam, Netherlands
2014 – Finalist Radio France International Awards
2016 – Winner Best Album in World Music Production, Netherlands
2017 – Winner Best Album in World Music Production, Netherlands
2020 - Nominee Amsterdam Prijs voor de Kunst, Netherlands
Collaborations

She has performed internationally at Glastonbury Festival (UK), Afrika Festival Wurzburg (Germany), Amsterdam Roots Festival, Lake of Stars (Malawi) and various countries including Kenya, South Africa, Russia, USA, India, Morocco, Moldova, Latvia, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Greece, South Korea, China, Jordan and her home countries, Netherlands, Belgium and Namibia.

Shishani is founder, producer, lead vocalist and songwriter of Miss Catharsis (2019), a unique all-female group centralizing women of colour. She is co-founded "Namibian Tales" with percussionist/producer Sjahin During. She was lead vocalist and composer of this acoustic quartet delving into the musical heritage of Namibia. With Namibian Tales, Shishani led a unique international project with UNESCO and the Museums Association of Namibia on safeguarding cultural heritage through archiving and producing new music in collaboration with San communities in Namibia. This project toured internationally.

Shishani is also founder, vocalist and songwriter of Shakuar, a group combining live electronica with traditional instruments and enchanting voices, exploring artistic and spiritual expressions. In 2021, Shishani founded Sisterhood: a group of 11 female artists who highlight a shared heritage between Indonesia and Namibia through the Dutch colonial past.

Collaborations
Shishani has collaborated with various artists internationally over the years. Among them, she has recorded & toured with critically acclaimed drummer and percussionist Bodek Janke with his jazz trio on the album ‘SONG 2’ as vocalist & songwriter. Together with pianist Kristjan Randalu and bassist Phil Donkin European this trio belongs to the European heavyweights in jazz.