From personal to global: Eritrean-British singer Raheaven softly breaks boundaries in R&B and pop-infused magic
Words by Nour Khairi, Interview by Dalia Al-Dujaili
Eritrea has long been the home to many artful and crafty female artists, who revolutionised the country's music scene post-independence. Household fave and pop icon Elsa Kidane is known for her crispy smooth vocals, as well as those old-school romantic videos where she can be seen putting on her red lip, trying on clothes in her room, reminiscing partners and all-around being the undeniable centre of attention. Oh, and the red wine in those romantic, old-school Eritrean music videos? A must. Just as tantalising and classy is Raheaven, the London-based singer with Eritrean roots, bringing both fierce and soft energy to R&B, fusion and pop. Following the legacy of daring Eritrean artists, 26-year-old Raheaven centres an empowered and equally vulnerable experience throughout her previous EP 2Personal, in her most-played track 7AM, she bravely asserts her boundaries: Why you still here? / In my living room / Take your bag boy / And pick up your shoes, in an accompanying music video of striking looks, sexy silk sheets and red wine. She keeps the same energy in her latest collaborative track, Touch It. She's out, she's having fun, she’s feeling herself, she might mess around and let him have it, but will she? All of these motions are encapsulated in a seductive conversation with her love interest on the latest afro-fusion track.
We had the pleasure of speaking to Raheaven about her cultural roots, musical influences, intentions for the future and more…
Thanks for sitting down with us today! Could you tell us a bit about your background, who you are, how you got into music?
My name is Raheaven, born in North London. My parents came here from Eritrea in 1989, they fled the Independence War. They both played instruments and formed a band with other Eritreans to raise money and send resources to people back home. So I grew up around music, mainly Eritrean and pop music from the ’90s and early 2000s. I started singing and writing my own music at 14, then I sort of took a break from it all from 19-21, I was just traveling, doing all the things privileged kids could do [laughs], but yeah just getting to know myself as a person. I came back into music when I was around 23.
How has your parents’ Eritrean band influenced you growing up?
I think it just made me realise that it’s possible to have a purpose behind something that you may just do for fun. There’s more to music, it’s also a community thing. It showed me how music can connect and bring communities together. Also, this might sound strange but, even when things are hard, we shouldn’t deprive ourselves of an enjoyable pastime.
“There’s a lot of moods that are felt through Eritrean melodies and music that you can’t necessarily describe in words in the English language.”
Do you feel like you want to reflect this community aspect in your own music?
I think music is for me starts off as a personal thing. I don't have the initial intention to speak to a lot of people in my music. But once the sentiment or the purpose of the song is out there, and we've planted that seed in the room or in a session in the studio, then at that point I think, okay, we can dress it up nice, and make it sound as though it should be speaking to more than just me in my head. That's the next step after initially just trying something a bit more personal.
Got you, starting off with an internal monologue while writing makes a lot of sense. Do your roots, upbringing and cultural influences impact what you create?
100%. I think a lot of the riffs and runs or melodies… the scales I choose are distinctly Eritrean. A lot of people I work with realise and point out that it’s weird, but to me it’s normal. That’s exactly what I know and exactly what I’ll do. The way that I feel music, my culture does impact that. There’s a lot of moods that are felt through Eritrean melodies and music that you can’t necessarily describe in words in the English language. But you can feel it in the music. It’s kind of like how there are feelings in other languages that can’t be expressed in English. The music translates that for me and I draw towards certain melodies for certain feelings, in a particularly Eritrean style. Because within Western styles of music it’s like major scales equal happy, and minor scales equal sad, so I try to reflect other musical nuances in my music.
It’s so interesting how music can act as a medium to translate feelings from one culture to another….
Yes, melancholy, for example, there are so many Arabic songs that you sense melancholy in, not so much English songs. Arabic songs could be both romantic but extremely sad, you cannot describe it, or really see a counterpart to those feelings in English songs. Someone should write a whole book about that.
Maybe you’ll write it! Moving on, congratulations on your most recent EP 2Personal. Could you tell us a bit about the process of making that project?
Thank you, I think 2Personal is a mix/match compilation of songs with very different topics and production styles. I was making loads of songs and handpicked those. It has all the elements that I can create in a project. The track ‘2Personal’ is more bedroom pop-y, then you have ‘Over’, which is a ballad, basically, and there’s R&B in there too. So, it’s a good representation of all the things I can do musically. The reason it sounds so crazy is because I was genuinely having a crazy time while making it. One day everything’s going well, the next day I’m in the studio like “I need to go outside and cry” [giggles]. So just all over the place. But, I like it that way.
“It was a very healing process for me, though. After I made that song, I was at peace with a lot of things…”
We have to know what song you’re most proud of on that EP.
I would say ‘Over’. Because it was the hardest for me to make, the other ones came together quite quickly, we were able to capture the moment easily. But ‘Over’ was the most difficult because I was just like: I don’t wanna be vulnerable! It was like a therapy session though, my guitarist was playing the saddest chord and I just had to leave and cry. It was hard for me. I didn’t wanna be crying on a song, being sentimental, and thinking about things in retrospect. It was a very healing process for me, though. After I made that song, I was at peace with a lot of things… so I’d say it’s the one I’m most proud of.
That’s beautiful, thanks for sharing that with us. And lastly, what’s next for you in 2022?
A couple of singles, a new EP. The next EP is going to be different and feel a bit “alien” since we have been in these unnatural, weird conditions for a while. I feel like the project is really coming together and cementing… In the spring, I’m going on tour as a supporting artist, so I’m really excited to be doing more live stuff. I also want to make more music in new spaces, so I’m planning on going to LA. I’m done with it here! So, making more music, and being outside, that’s it.
Raheaven’s current musical influences:
Che Ecru
Jack James
SZA
Summer Walker
“TikTok music” / DIY artists
Stream latest single ‘Touch It’ by Raheaven.
Follow Raheaven here.