spotlight
“There is never a reason not to celebrate life with the colors that we wear and the
food that we eat in a lot of the African cultures.”
with a certain piece of music. in my family. I was born in the early mid-1980s so having a mom who was a very
Rage: Your fashion sense is off the hook. Every video that I’ve seen has a vivid and different flamboyant African woman power-dressing in the late 1980s and early 1990s was
style. Where do you find your inspiration for your look? an incredible wardrobe to come home to after getting home from school and
SS: To be quite honest, most of my inspiration is in my upbringing. I grew up in getting lost in.
a very big and dynamic, very flamboyant family. We’re from southwest Africa… Rage: What female singers inspired you growing up who you enjoy?
Malawi and Zimbabwe. Although I was born in London, there were always lots SS: I like a lot of the divas who make statements. If you’re gonna sing a ballad…
of extended family, great aunties and grandmothers with huge headdresses… sing a ballad. If you’re gonna give me “Hounds of Love,” I know you’re gonna
almost looking like birds of paradise. When somebody passed down, there was a give me “Hounds of Love.” I adore Kate Bush, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday. I adore
reason to dress up and celebrate, somebody got home from school safe or some- women’s texture in their voice. You can feel some kind of glory. That they are not
body passed their driving test, there is never a reason not to celebrate life with the holding back…they’re not trying to sound like they’ve been dipped in sugar
colors that we wear and the food that we eat in a lot of the African cultures. and you really can’t get through to their soul. They are just women with texture. I
Coming from a family like that, I’m hardly gonna be a jeans and t-shirt kind love Grace Jones, I love Eartha Kitt…just women with character. I’m not into the
of girl (laughter). My mom would just so tell me off if I went on stage and didn’t squeaky clean “I’ve got to do it. I’ve got to sound like a little boy for my record label
make an effort. She’d be saying, “People are coming to see you perform.” She’d see boss.” You know what I mean? I’m not too much into those vocals. I can appreciate
me wearing seven-inch heels so that I can’t dance and really reach the audience. the songwriting sometimes…like Mariah Carey. I’d love to hear her fu@king just
She’d say, “Shingai. What’s important? The shoes or the performance?” Well, the let go. You know what I mean (laughter)?
shoes! She’d say, “Well take them off and put them on the drum kit then so people Rage: Yes. Most definitely. Hey, thank you and much more continued success with Noisettes.
can see your shoes. People should be able to see you dance and sing.” And you SS: Oh, thank you Bill. We’ve played in San Diego and hope to be there soon. I
can’t do that in those shoes. My biggest inspiration is my family and all the women love it there.
46 RAGE monthly | OctOber 2009
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