For Afro jazz and neo-soul singer Skai, music is calling that just kept showing up at her door until she couldn't ignore anymore. Driven by the need for personal release and a desire to speak the truth, the singer has been on a musical journey that has seen her grace stages in both Johannesburg and Harare.
Balancing vulnerability and strength, while offering soulful narratives that resonate with authenticity and emotional depth, Skai has used music as an extension of her spiritual life.
"I’ve always been the girl who feels too much, and music was the only place all those feelings made sense. It became my way of organising chaos," shared the singer.
"Skai wants to tell the truth about being human — the messy parts, the soft parts, the parts we pretend we’re fine about. I’m interested in feelings people are scared to say out loud. My music is basically me saying; You’re not crazy, you’re not alone, you’re just human."
The singer released her debut EP, Dawn in December of 2024. The 6 track solo project is centred on love, and everything that comes with it. It came to life after years of trepidation from the artist, and flirting with releasing a full length project but never committing. It was produced by Fungai Nengare at The Studio Inc, a bubbling production house collaborating with emerging talent.
"Dawn is inspired by love — the good, the confusing, the beautiful, the parts that bruise you a little and ultimately the self love that helps you find your way back to yourself again," stated Skai.
The singer has further added to her catalogue in 2025, with the release of a collaborative with house music producer HALU! titled Eyethu. The genre-bending body of work reclaims the meaning of home and identity through ancestral echoes and futuristic soundscapes. Over HALU!'s layered production Skai invites listeners to journey inward toward healing and rediscovery, with pride in the identity of being African.
In what is a full circle moment, the singer is set to celebrate the first anniversary of her debut EP, Dawn, with a concert titled 'Skai at Dusk.' A stripped down experience of music that will remove all distractions and centre the singer's powerful voice.
"The theme of the concert is simplicity. Everything stripped back. No hiding behind noise. Just the music, the stories, and the real feelings behind them," explained Skai in an interview.
The concert will feature genre bending vocalist, Masa Caroleen, neo-soul and R&B sensation, SAIIREN and Femme Sonic DJ, Chimkuyu. A curation said to be led synergy and connection.
"I selected artists whose energy made sense with mine. People who don’t perform— but express, hence Masa Caroleen and SAIIREN," shared Skai on the concert's curation.
"The venue had to feel intimate and warm, somewhere people can breathe and actually listen, which is why the indoor theatre at Alliance Française was perfect. I want the show to feel like a conversation, not a spectacle."
Skai at Dusk is on Friday 5 December, at Alliance Française de Harare. The concert kicks off at 6:30 pm and tickets are going for $10.