Die talentierte Newcomerin aus Amsterdam, die im südamerikanischen Küstenstaat Suriname aufgewachsen ist, verkörpert im die Soul Music im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes. Ihr Stimmtimbre zaubert in Sekundenschnelle einen Flaum von Gänsehaut über den ganzen Körper und lässt tief ins Innere der Seele blicken. Dabei will und kann sie mir als „nur“ singen. In Berlin hat die Songwriterin den Nährboden für ihre Kunst gefunden und entfaltet ihre Begabung wie einen bunten Schmetterling. Mit ihrer Band arbeitet sie derzeit an ihrer ersten EP und kreiert einen Sound, der funky und extravagant, die Brücken zwischen Neo-Soul, Jazz, Pop und Hip Hop schlägt. Ich traf Nanghiti zum gemütlichen Interview auf der Couch und plauderte mit ihr über die Herausforderungen als freischaffende Künstlerin und ihre persönlichen Erlebnisse. Ein Juwel am Musik-Firmament, welches ihr unbedingt besser kennenlernen solltet…

Someone who meets you for the first time, thinks…

… “Wow! Look at her. Big hair! She must be so confident.” And in a certain way I am. But from the inside, I’m learning and I’m a little healing girl. So when you start talking to me, you think: “Oh, she is actually quite vulnerable.”

Everything started with…

… falling in love! I was so in love with this one person. You hear a lot of things about bad relationships, but I had the privilege of being also in relationships with people that believed in me. And when I fell in love with that person, I really believed what he told me. He said: “You are a star, so don’t be shy. Go for it.” And so I did.

How many years ago?

This was three years ago. And then two years ago it started that I was being booked regularly as a vocalist, doing covers and jam sessions, not knowing that I was an artist. But I just enjoyed that I could sing and get dressed up a little bit.

When you began to write your first songs?

I remember that I was writing for the first time in high school. I wrote a song about a niece who died when she was two years. I didn’t realized that this had anything to do with what I’m doing now. But I’ve been understanding and enjoying the process of writing, observing stuff and writing about it since a year.

Three words that describe your music…

Soul, funky and eclectic.

The first song you went crazy about…

Actually it was a house song from the year I was born in: Gipsy Woman by Crystals Waters. I think I had that on repeat for five years. Ah! Those chords… “La dee da, la dee da”…. Touched my soul!

Was it an easy decision for you to work as a freelance musician?

It’s still not easy, because first you have to figure out what it is. It’s not like becoming a banker with an guided protocol that tells you how to get there. If you choose to be an musician, first you have to define what that means for you. It can mean a lot of things: A musician is also someone who speaks stuff in phones like Siri, or someone that only does voice overs, or someone who is doing covers for a living. So I’m actually in that process to learn what it actually means for me. I define myself more as an artist, because I cannot do something that I don’t like or is not inspiring myself and others. Music is one way to show it.

And what would you advice someone, who is afraid of doing that step?

I don’t wanna give a particular advice. but I wanna ask them something: “Are you happy in where you are?” …because I’m super unhappy when I’m thinking about giving up my artistic freedom. I’m more afraid of NOT taking the next step than taking it. Therefor it’s best to do something that makes you happy. It’s the only way. Don’t let your mind or people convince you otherwise.

A fascinating moment you lived in Berlin…

..when I realized how easy it was for me to fit in. I came here and in the shortest time I was so well taking care of. I relatively easy found a place to stay. I relatively easy found a job. People were very cool, so forgiving, so easy going. It really is a special vibe here. Because coming from Amsterdam, I was homeless there. Not because I couldn’t afford a home, but I just couldn’t find it. That’s another type of suffering that I didn’t experience here, which made everything go a lot smoother.

Perfectionist or improviser?

I’m an improviser. My whole life is improvised. (laughs)

Better solo or together?

I would say: Solo. In my head I am solo, even if I have a band. They understand my vision and are willing to help me achieve it. I need that feeling of independence. But when I’m feeling good with myself, I invite people very easily to join.

Really sexy is…

… confidence. I don’t know anything that can top confidence. Because confidence is not loud. It’s handling a situation with a certain calmness. That’s hot.

On a Sunday you are…

… in bed. Before maybe with a joint and a movie. Now with a book.

Everyone should…

…exercise! Go outside and run. It’s not that you’re unhappy, but you just might not be in shape. And I’m not saying this to judge people, but I’m telling this to myself the whole time and it really helped. So go and work on your body, mind and soul!

What’s next?

We finished recording my first EP and now we are doing some mixing. I think the creative part works really well, now it’s important to get some financial freedom.

Last but not least: Your question…

Are you really willing to listen?

Wenn ihr NANGHITI in voller Pracht live erleben wollt, solltet ihr das nächste Konzert der Sängerin am 31. Mai 2017 zur Urban Base After SUNset Jam Session im Greenhouse Berlin nicht verpassen. Außerdem wird sie am 24. und 25. Juni 2017 auch auf dem Green Market Berlin – Berlins erstem veganen Lifestyle Markt – auftreten. Wir freuen uns schon sehr darauf, die begabte Sängerin wiederzutreffen.

Weitere Infos zu NANGHITI findet ihr auch auf FB + Insta.