BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – A huge milestone for Sarnilo!
Eswatini-based singer, songwriter, and rapper Sarnilo has been crowned Spotify Fresh Finds Africa Artist for July. Not only that, her song Addict was also featured on their playlist.
Born Samketi Ntando Dlamini in Mbabane, Sarnilo is half Swati and half Malawian. When reached for comment, the singer shared with this publication that the song Addict was produced by Fezi Simelane. It was recorded in a studio in Mbabane.
She said, “I worked on Addict with Mzwaa, who is a feature, Stickx, who engineered it, and Ndura, who played live drums. The song was released on June 7, 2024. It premiered at the recent MTN Bushfire Festival. The song is a single from her upcoming project, set to drop later this year.”
Sarnilo released her debut EP on September 8th, titled Chifunilo (it’s Chichewa), which means the Will of God. She is best known for her captivating lyrics, versatility, and eclectic music. Her smooth and soul-filled raps, soothingly toned voice, and new-school Afro-centric style are a few of the energies she exudes in the studio and on stage.
She describes her music as soul-capturing, fun, experimental, and emotive. Sarnilo, being a bi-cultural artist, uses her diverse background to influence her song-writing and singing style. Born of a Malawian mother and Swati father, she uniquely blends both Swati and Chichewa in her music.
As an emerging African artist determined to break into Africa’s rising music scene, Sarnilo draws her inspiration from a plethora of talented black women, such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Sampa The Great, Msaki, and Ami Faku. Sarnilo has worked with Austrian producer Aramboa and award-winning South African rapper/poet Zuluboy and has performed on stages such as the acclaimed Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival.
She was introduced to music through reggae and house genres, which is where she gets the bounce in her delivery. Having started writing music at the tender age of 10, Sarnilo soon developed a desire to write poetry, transitioning to rap and eventually joining the school choir, where she developed vocal control and the confidence she brings on stage. In 2019, Sarnilo joined the MTN Bushfire Firefly competition and went on to win at the Sound Storm Finale.
This announced her grand entry into the local music landscape. In the same year, she performed at the MTN Bushfire Festival, which is arguably one of Africa’s biggest festivals. In a short space of time, she has managed to collaborate with Eswatini’s top artists, such as Qibho Intelektual, Velemseni, and Tlale Makhene.
Sarnilo ended the year 2019 by opening for South Africa’s household name, Khuli Chana. A prospect in the making, 2020 looked like a year of great growth for Sarnilo, having joined local award-winning management company Antidote Music and working on new music preparing to take on the global market.
