DemiMa's musical journey: healing tunes rooted in South African culture
Image: Tolu Elusade
DemiMa was raised in Southwest London and Kwa-Zulu, South Africa. She identifies as a multidisciplinary artist whose talents range from singing, writing, poetry, ambient soundscaping, event production, and yoga.
Her music and wellness work has garnered acclaim from global platforms including BBC Radio 1, NTS, MTV Africa, and Teen Vogue.
DemiMa stepped into 2025 with a mindset grounded in serenity, spirituality, and soulful expression. Her latest EP, titled Duality Pt 2 Peace, captures this perfectly.
She says, 'I'm a revolutionary. I spend a lot of time thinking about issues. I want to spend time thinking of how those issues can be solved. I don't like to say, 'Oh my gosh, this is so bad.' Even if that thought doesn't necessarily turn into a specific action, I think there is value in simply thinking of those solutions.'
When speaking about the issues faced in South Africa, DemiMa brought up the fact that we aren't proud enough of the beautiful culture we already have.
'I hate that in South Africa, we are not proud of our own culture enough. When you go to different places, if there's a food course, you'll have Portuguese food, Greek food, Chinese food, and every other cuisine. We don't celebrate ourselves enough.'
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Rooted in her passion for yoga and sound therapy, DemiMa first began experimenting with meditative music to enhance her classes.
Image: Raymond Amoah
Her love for music started at a very young age, and DemiMa recalls that journey very fondly: 'My love for music started when my mother was pregnant with me. She used to play jazz and classical music to her belly.
"So it started there. When I came out into the world, I came into a musical family. So I was just surrounded by music all the time.'
Being introduced to jazz music so early has stayed with DemiMa and continues to influence her sound today.
She adds, 'Yes, definitely. I think for me, jazz is like an exploration of freedom. I definitely aim to include more jazz - more classic jazz -as time develops. As I develop as an artist, I think more jazz influences will be added to my music.'
Her pursuit of a music career hasn't always been easy.
'There are always challenges. When I was very young, I was approached by major record labels -probably when I was 16 or 17. Because of my resilience, or my parents being activists, there's something within me that was just very resistant to the capitalist system and the reasoning behind it. I'm not a sell-out," she recalls.
"It would've been great in a lot of ways, especially to make a lot of money. But then I would be looking back on the decisions I'd made, potentially, and not be proud of them. I chose the struggling route. It's just more authentic to me. It's definitely been challenging in terms of the industry.
"I think the industry is a mess - the music industry is anti-musicians. It literally hates musicians and is only interested in exploiting them. It is hard being an independent artist. I am completely independent and have been the whole time.
"I do hope that at some point I will connect with a team that I can collaborate with and share a vision with.'
DemiMa's journey is a testament to the power of staying true to one's vision, even when the road is uncertain. With Duality Pt 2 Peace, she holds space for reflection, for softness, for healing.
As 2025 unfolds, she's an artist to watch.
Through her music, spirituality, and commitment to truth, she offers not just sound but invites us all to pause, breathe, and reconnect with our inner selves.
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