Selected: Sio chooses her favourite vocalists

Following the release of Counting Stars, her new collaboration with Max Sinàl on Soul Quest Records, South African poet, singer-songwriter and DJ Sio takes us inside some of the voices that have shaped her own musical world.

Few artists understand the power of the voice quite like Sio. Her own work sits at the intersection of poetry, spoken word, soul and house, with storytelling and emotional honesty at its core. So, for this feature, we asked her to shine a light on five vocalists whose voices, writing and artistry have left a lasting impression on her.

From the vivid, lived-in storytelling of Monique Bingham and Toshi’s deeply affecting delivery, to the dreamlike sophistication of Jaidene Veda, the spiritual depth of Nonku Phiri and the calm authority of Lisa Shaw, Sio’s selections reveal something about the qualities she values most in a vocalist: individuality, emotional truth, atmosphere and the ability to make a listener stop and really feel.

Here, in her own words, Sio shares five voices that have inspired her — and the songs that continue to resonate.

Monique Bingham 

She was my introduction to House Music and she writes in a way that takes me into her world. It feels like I can walk in her songs, like I’ve lived them. Her songs feel sonic like photographs to me and she scratches my intellectual itch. When I first heard “Poor People” it felt like she walked past my house and wrote about my street. It was WILD!

Toshi 

Her tone is so distinct and poignant. Her voice is commanding, and evocative and tends to hit me square in my feels. The pain she evokes in “Buya,” feels lived and pocks at my empathic little heart.

Jaidene Veda

She has a soft, smooth, smoky sophistication with a pen to match. She sits in the almost quiet pocket of house music, unmistakable, impossible to imitate while retaining a dreamlike, hypnotic power. 

Nonku Phiri 

Brings the study of people and spirituality to her music for me, giving her work a touch of anthropology and mysticism with a voice that is rich, nuanced and commanding. I literally can’t multitask when her music is on, it forces me to stop and listen.

Lisa Shaw

Her voice is deep, soulful, smooth and unmistakable. She sounds like a sage, someone to listen to when life overwhelms me, who sits on the other side. Calm, self-assured and confident.

Buy / Stream Max Sinàl – Counting Stars Ft Sio HERE