Shekhinah

South African vocalist Shekhinah fuses indigenous musical traditions with longstanding Western pop and R&B conventions. Already a household name domestically by the time her first album, Rose Gold, appeared in 2017, she has since solidified her stature both onstage and as an advocate for South African music, most visibly through her founding of a prominent festival spotlighting homegrown female talent.

Shekhinah Donnell first reached South African audiences as a teenager via the seventh season of the televised contest SA Idols. Though voted off early, she returned for the eighth season, delivering interpretations of Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Tina Turner that propelled her to a sixth-place finish. Sony Music promptly signed her, issuing Rose Gold in 2017. The album’s incisive, soul-infused originals yielded three domestic chart-toppers—“Suited,” “Please Mr.,” and “Different”—while earning her three South African Music Awards: Album of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year.

Her profile soon drew interest from international artists, leading local promoters to book her as support on South African dates for John Legend, Ed Sheeran, and Toni Braxton. In 2019 she launched Rosefest, leveraging her streaming success to create a dedicated stage for emerging women in South African music. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, she pivoted the event to a virtual format that paired live sets with panel discussions aimed at addressing community concerns beyond music. Shekhinah returned in 2021 with her sophomore album, Trouble in Paradise, which contained the homegrown successes “Fixate,” “Questions,” and “Tides.” The 2024 single “Risk,” a duet with Ghanaian singer Moliy, previewed her upcoming third full-length.