Penning stories of culture and identity against soundscapes that straddle electronic folk and jazz, South African singer, composer, producer and curator Msaki uses her art to explore all sides of modern life. Her boundless expression extends from her own work (“Fetch Your Life II”) to collaborations with dance heavyweights like Black Coffee (“Wish You Were Here”) and melodies she’s penned for numerous other artists. Below, and to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, Msaki unpacks her journey as a songwriter and her experience navigating multiple sonic spaces—and shares her biggest hopes for women in the music industry. What is one of the most challenging projects you’ve faced to date as a musician and songwriter, and what singles this out as a particularly proud moment in your career? “Two projects so far really tested me. My [2021] Platinumb Heart double album really took it out of me. I learnt more about writing and arranging for strings and horns, and my instincts developed, and my co-producer Neo Muyanga gave me so much space to explore every idea I had and make all the important decisions. There were so many live sessions where the band and my various sections recorded in a big room, so choosing the take that felt right and then working with that was the method. I had to keep working on it remotely over lockdown, and it forced my basic engineering skills to improve exponentially. Then I finished the electronic part of the album over a two month residency while I was making [art] installations connected to the work. I wouldn’t have been able to see it to the end without the support from my team and Platoon. I'm proud of it because it was ambitious, and we got a SAMA award for it. We also got nominated for best produced album.” As a songwriter and as a performer, you’ve been able to create music for both the dance scene and the more folk and alternative spaces. What do you love about both spaces, and has there been any kind of crossover for you between the two? “More than a crossover, there is a through-line between the two spaces that exists when both worlds fall away. The poems and the simple melodies that attach themselves to those words—those can live inside any genre and can also live alone. What I enjoy is [reinterpreting] them in different genres. I love the intimacy of the live music space, which makes the music transcend so many barriers, and I love the community in which I belong. I love the immediate connection and familiarity of the electronic world, because the formula and the language is so clear and is found all over the world.” How has navigating both worlds allowed you to express your creativity? “Simple things, like taking a song people have come to know in one genre and arranging it for another, or arranging it as an orchestral piece. I’ve loved those challenges. I love the way one gets to build a set differently for each space. For an electronic set, the energy growing to a climax is so important, and it's harder to build up after breakdowns. I love playing with the shapes of sets. In a band setting, whether it's a jazz set or folk set, the space is my biggest collaborator. Improvisation, breathing between ideas and songs, telling stories—that makes the show. I'm finding less and less distinction between the spaces as they collapse into one. It's a real time of synthesis for me, creatively. It's exciting.” In your corner of the music industry, who is a woman who doesn’t get nearly enough shine for her accomplishments? What are some of your favourite works of hers, and in what ways has she inspired you in your own work? “We have so many gems, but I’m so excited by the artistry of Mikaela Faye. She is such a smart storyteller, a talented producer and songwriter. She also has such clarity about how she wants to be presented and doesn’t take herself too seriously—but there is so much intentionality and attention to detail. She is based in Cape Town. I love her work. She inspires me to be more playful.” What change do you want to see across the music industry, when it comes to gender equality and representation? What strides towards progress have you seen so far? “I would like our genius, perspective, and representation to be prioritised and recognised, not as campaign bursts but acknowledged as a reality, now. I love the strides being made in recognising more females behind the scenes. The industry can start by honouring and naming those that are already working and not diminish their contribution—but instead amplify our visibility. More of that often as a culture would help. “Females obviously need to be paid better across the board. but more needs to be done to pull more females in also for the environment to be better to work in. Our male colleagues need to be going on courses to recognise their privilege and unconsciousness so that when we are in these spaces it is not unbearable because of ignorance. We don't have time any more. “Training and development opportunities for young girls where they are assumed to be full creative beings , leaders who could take up space anywhere in the music value chain is the next step. When that becomes normal, we will see the future of sound change.” Which of your collaborations with fellow female-identifying musicians stand out as high points in your career? How have these projects differed from your other experiences? “I twice played on a stage at [Tanzanian music festival] Sauti Za Busara where the whole stage team was female. It was incredible, the efficiency, swift problem solving, the calmness, the professionalism was the best I had experienced. My experience with a predominantly female led team at [artist services agency] Platoon has marked me significantly. Musically, many of these moments are under construction. We have been operating in silos just trying to survive. I have started being more intentional about writing with and for my female colleagues, and there is much on the horizon. My favourite work out to date are my collaborations with Simmy [2022’s ‘Hlehlo’] and Lapsley [2023’s ‘Close To Heaven’].” What’s your personal empowerment anthem, a track you turn to for inspiration, or one that speaks closely to your own experiences in music? Similarly, do you have a song you’ve written that serves this purpose for you? “‘Nizalwa Ngobani?’ by Thandiswa Mazwai. I like it because it talks about an inherent power that we possess that can not be taken away. A song of mine that helps me access the same power is a song called ‘Delakufa’, which means ‘dare to die’, or it can also be translated to mean ‘unafraid of death.’ It feels silly to think about how art will outlast us, but it’s the one thing we can rely on. We will die and the art will remain.”