̸BIOGRAPHY
DJ, Artist, founder of Abantu, one half of The Ascension & NTS Resident, Charisse C draws her selections from her experience of existing between worlds.
Rooted in her Zimbabwean and South African heritage, raised in the UK; her taste is curious, soulful and bass-heavy, with a playful and intentional demeanour.
Spearheading South Africa's electronic soundscape, including, now global giants, Amapiano and Gqom; she describes herself as both a vessel and storyteller. Previously a Music Journalist, Charisse C's live performances and curated events are all part of an ever-evolving expression of chosen mediums.
The multifaceted tastemaker has played a wide span of shows from from Fabric to KOKO, Village Underground, Corsica and Werkhaus, to cultural venues like the London Design Biennale at Somerset House, the Tate Modern & the V&A Museum. Charisse C’s mixes can be found on Boiler Room, BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, NTS and No Signal Radio.
In the spring of 2021, Charisse C met collaborator Koek Sista; fresh from their stellar Boiler Room, headline Southbank Centre, Tate Modern and Fabric London performances, together, they launched 'The Ascension': an immersive live experiment that combines Charisse C’s bass-heavy selections and Koek Sista’s magnetic sound art, to turn every dance floor into a gravitational and unforgettable experience.
The pair sit at the vanguard of a new imagining of electronic music from the African continent; connecting their individual experiences of cultural hybrids to form a live, artistic expression that is both rooted and out of this world. AMAKA describes "the heart of The Ascension" as "a form of sonic care work where two Black women honour the sounds of their home and use music to uplift collective energy."
“South African’s club experiments have rightly been held up as some of the best things to have happened to our dance floors. As Abantu boss Charisse C showed us in her debut sessions for NTS, there’s plenty more to [South Africa’s] thriving and constantly-evolving club culture,” writes Trench Magazine.
Known for the stellar curation of #AbantuNoSignal; a bi-weekly show dedicated to representing the vastness of Southern Africa, with a combined effort of music and storytelling. Starting with the two places she calls home; Zimbabwe and South Africa, the show has since branched out to reach Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique and the like.
Abantu, which translates to “people” in several Nguni languages, is cultivating an international community whilst building an archival legacy. The show features interviews, guest-mixes and the #AbantuArtists segment, which spotlights artists across electronic, hip-hop and soul music. The show aims to be inclusive of all that Southern Africa has to offer; not limited to its commercial successes, bridging gaps between genres and cultures alike.
An off-shoot of the No Signal show, is the #AbantuPod which fills the gap for more in-depth conversations about the people, cultures and social issues surrounding the music.
On June 4th 2022, Abantu hosted its first party, curated by headlining DJ, Charisse C. The Abantu dance floor is a dance floor of freedom and discovery. Where you can experience Amapiano, and its adjacent genres, situated in the heart of electronic dance music in London and beyond.
An exploration of the intersections between the genres and cultures, that have shaped Charisse C into the eclectic tastemaker she is today. Where you can experience a sense of home, whilst being transported to places new and yet somehow familiar.
̸SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Wrecking Bassline Line - PYY Log Drum KING x Charisse C (25th July 2022)
United Kingdom