Apple Music’s New Artist Spotlight for October is Filah Lah Lah (Reabetswe Fila Ranamane), a singer-songwriter whose vocal stylings have paved the way for an introspective and alternative R&B body of work.

“Apple Music has been so gracious to me and I’m so grateful. The Apple Music New Artist Spotlight is a dream and an honour,” Filah said.

Growing up, Filah always felt like an outsider because of the way she thought, spoke and looked. Music was the creative outlet that allowed her to embrace her ‘otherness’ and to revel in it.
Filah’s love for music is a result of her late father’s avid love for a multitude of genres – from jazz to funk. He went out of his way to ensure that Filah’s musical consciousness was guided by proud black voices like Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Betty Wright and Smokey Robinson.
Filah’s career in music began shortly after being accepted into University to study an LLB. She started to record music and to collaborate with various South African producers.
Her debut single “Feels Like”, released in late 2019 and available to stream on Apple Music, paid homage to the jazz greats she grew up listening to with its tinkling piano melody, overlaid with a minimalistic 90s hip hop beat.
Her debut EP Filahsofy, released in August 2020 under Kalombo Records, is also steeped in sentiment and is an intimate snapshot of her life that talks about everything from a past rocky relationship to being content in the loving relationship she’s currently in.
As one of the newest voices to emerge from the current burgeoning R&B-soul wave, Filah Lah Lah’s compositions continue to mature and grow, making her an exciting prospect to watch.

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