Born in Vicenza, Italy from Nigerian descent, Afra Kane began playing piano in order to accompany worship services at church but her nascent talent quickly led to an education in classical piano at prestigious conservatoires including Cardiff, Wales’s Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Neuchâtel, Switzerland’s Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève. Her wide-ranging musical interests soon saw Kane trying her own hand as a singer-songwriter, fusing her classical training with elements of jazz, soul, R&B, future funk, and more to craft a nuanced, cinematic sound that earned her 2019’s Montreux Jazz Talent Award from a like-minded jury that included Stanley Clarke, Chilly Gonzales, Carl Craig, and Chucho Valdés.
Afra Kane has just released two singles: ‘Invisible Cross’ from upcoming album “Could We Be Whole”, coming out in March 2024. The new Album shares the experience of shedding one’s multiple layers of self to finally find wholesomeness again. We grabbed Kane for a quick chat.
Who is Afra Kane in Three Words only?
COMPLEX, SENSITIVE, BRAVE
2. What top 5 tracks would we find on your Spotify or iTunes playlist?
THIS YEAR – EMILY KING
NADA – LIDO PIMIENTA
MERCY – LAKECIA BENJAMIN FT DIANNE REEVES
LITTLE BIT – DANIELLE PONDER
HUSTLE – SONS OF KEMET FEAT KOJEY RADICAL
3. How has being of Nigerian descent but born in Italy influenced your music?
IT’S MADE MY MUSIC MULTI DIMENSIONAL, I’d say it’s part of the reason why I have so many music influences and hate being pinpointed in a specific box.
4. Tell us a bit about the new album ‘Could We Be Whole’ what can we expect?
IT’S A VERY HONEST WORK. YOU CAN EXPECT AN EXCITING MUSICAL JOURNEY THAT WILL NOT BORE YOU. ALL OF MY MUSIC INFLUENCES ARE VERY PRESENT- CLASSICAL, RNB, afro & jazz.
5. Who are your musical inspirations? THERE ARE SO MANY.
LOTS FROM CLASSICAL MUSIC COMPOSERS: RAVEL, SCRIABIN, BARTOK. ALSO BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE, ARETHA FRANKLIN, LAURA MVULA, AL GREEN, ALICIA KEYS, SOLANGE AND AFRO-GOSPEL MUSIC that used to be played at home by my Parents.
6. What embarrassing songs might we find on your Spotify?
OH MY NOT SURE I HAVE ANY.
7. Your sound we feel is very R&B meets future funk, is there a genre of music that you would collectively stay away from?
METAL, TRAP, TECHNO, HOUSE, EDM
8. Who would be your dream collaboration? BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE
9. Your track Mouth Shut” was named as BBC Music Introducing’s prestigious “Record of the Week how does that feel?
IT FELT AWESOME AT THE TIME.
10. What hidden talent(s) do you have? I SPEAK FOUR LANGUAGES,
I WRITE POEMS, I DRAW & PAINT.
11. Describe your style to us?
I LOVE ME SOME CASUAL, EDGY/ELEGANT. NOT TOO FEMININE WITH HINTS OF ANDROGYNY. I LOVE MIXING DIFFERENT PRINTS, SPECIFICALLY SQUARES ARE MY THING. I love shirt-JUMPER-BLAZER-HIGH-WAISTED TROUSERS COMBO A LOT. I ALSO LOVE SUITS.
LATELY I’M OBSESSED WITH MY LEATHER MOCASSINS. IN TERMS OF COLOURS, I LOVE BROWNS, BURGUNDY AND BEIGES.
12. Finally – what festivals have you got lined up for 2024?
I’M PLAYING AT THE TALLIN JAZZ FESTIVAL IN ESTONIA FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER FESTIVALS IN GERMANY, SWITZERLAND AND SPAIN.
