An Ode to Sarnilo.
By Mrs M
Sarnilo's Chifunilo is widely regarded as a groundbreaking EP that defied expectations blending hip-hop, culture,soul, tiny traces of soft jazz and RnB if you like.
By the end of the EP released in 2023, the songs start melding together as one long ballad.
This is an Ode to Sarnilo who doesn’t just make music but creates space. A space for feeling, for remembering, for being.
An Ode to her voice that feels both like memory and prophecy more like home and holy ground. Sarnilo, an Eswatini-based singer, rapper, songwriter and poet, one that doesn’t just echo through the room, but lingers in your chest long after the song is done.
Her EP’s lyrics delve into personal experiences, including her culture, the turbulence within, and themes of love and faith.
Chifunilo which means ‘God's Will’ features her unique production style, aiming for a raw and unpolished sound.
That sort of articulation of vulnerability, especially in your embarrassing, angsty twenties, will always resonate.
At the same time, Sarnilo's tongue is a machete. Whether she's rapping with calm conviction or singing with hushed intimacy.
With her latest single Autumn, Sarnilo returns not only to the scene, but to herself more powerful, more precise, and with vocals that carry a new kind of depth.
The song arrives like a change in season: rich, mellow, emotional and yet refreshingly crisp. It speaks of transformation, of letting go, of finding beauty in the falling.
Her voice here is fuller, rounder, more textured than ever before. There's something grown in it now. A woman who has seen some things, and instead of breaking, she bloomed.
Sarnilo's latest song paints a poignant picture of autumn's arrival, mirroring her own feelings of life ‘falling’ away. Opening with a sorrowful melody, the lyrics become a heartfelt dialogue with her deceased father, whom she envisions as ‘flying’.
She seeks his comforting presence, recalling his words that distance holds no power over their bond: “There's no distance between us, so you know where I've been.”.
This refrain becomes her solace, a mantra that underscores the enduring love transcending death. The song's melancholic tone beautifully captures the pain of loss, yet ultimately offers a message of healing found in cherished memories and the unbreakable connection between father and daughter.
The accompanying visuals are a mood in themselves: earthy, elegant, almost haunting. The colour palette leans into autumnal hues, ochres, burgundies, soft browns and we watch her move through it all like a woman owning every version of herself. It’s not just a comeback. It’s a reckoning.
If you’ve followed Sarnilo, then you know this isn’t her first time redefining soul. Her catalogue moves like a genre-less river: sometimes she leans into hip-hop, other times into Afro-soul, then out comes the poet, the priestess, the griot with soft rage and sweetness in her pen.
Back to the 21-minute E.P which immediately draws you into the intimate world of family. The opening track tenderly sets the stage with a heartfelt message from Sarnilo's maternal grandmother, offering a precious window into the Chifunilo lineage.
Their exchange serves as a touching encouragement to pursue one's aspirations and to sing with uninhibited joy a sentiment that beautifully permeates the entire E.P.
The opening track pulses with a distinct African vibrancy, weaving traditional melodies and background sounds, including the evocative ululation of women.
Yet, its most profound Africanness lies in the deep and enduring love that flows through generations.
This powerful connection is beautifully captured in the sentiment: “My granddaughter Chifunilo believes in herself, because her grandmother believed in her first.”
‘Sindikumva’ meaning I can't hear you, isn't just a title; it's the heart of a narrative about two lovers entangled in the web of miscommunication.
The song's Afro-soul vibe creates a warm and gentle backdrop for a story of romantic struggle. The lyrics poignantly illustrate the pain of distance created by unspoken needs.
This exploration of relationship dynamics continues in ‘Okondana’ which beautifully translates to lovers. Here, Sarnilo delves into the delicate landscape of young love through the eyes of a young African woman.
The song carries a message of hope, illustrating how love can blossom even in the most unexpected and challenging circumstances.
“And we found each other in the darkest of nights; we became each other's eternal light.” Furthermore, Okondana bravely touches upon the vulnerability inherent in opening one's heart, acknowledging the anxieties that can surface in a budding romance.
Together, these two songs offer a rich and insightful glimpse into the complexities of love and connection, all woven within the captivating sounds and language of Chichew
Born of a Malawian mother and Swati father, Sarnilo carries her heritage like a compass. It guides her not just in language (she switches between siSwati and Chichewa like water and fire) but in spirit. There’s a duality in her music that makes her one of one: raw but polished, experimental but deeply emotive, global but grounded.
She describes her sound as soul capturing, fun, experimental and emotive, but if you ask the 123,000+ minutes of listeners streaming her music in over 900 countries, they’d say: it’s healing,it’s revolutionary and it's ours.
The beautiful Sarnilo doesn’t just sing, she spills. Her lyrics are confessions, affirmations, tiny journal entries wrapped in bass and breath. You’ll find a woman unafraid to speak the truth about heartbreak, about heritage, about rising.
And she’s held her own on major stages like MTN Bushfire, a stage where you either bring fire or burn in its shadow. She, of course, did the former.
So this is an Ode to Sarnilo who is not just an artist but a movement in soft motion. A woman who can rage in a whisper, and soothe with a bar.
In a time where noise often drowns out nuance, her work is a reminder that music is still magic and that magic still wears melanin.
Stream Sarnilo's latest lyric visualizer here:
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