Petite Noir: The politics of Noirwave style

Trendsetters Petite Noir and Drone Goddess challenge perceptions of Africa with their inclusive style and vigour, writes Ntombenhle Shezi

The past few years have seen the rise of collaborators and collectives making their mark in the local creative scene.

On the fashion and photography front, street style collective The Sartists are putting a spin on contemporary looks by snapping themselves in vintage adidas get-ups. Siblings Dear Ribane 113 are using their combined love for design, theatre and film to tell unique stories.

Then you have Petite Noir and Drone Goddess, the stylish duo using their artistic expertise to challenge reductive images of Africa through the lens of Noirwave, touring the world and racking up award nominations.

story_article_left1

Rochelle "Rharha" Nembhard, 26, also known as Drone Goddess, was born in the UK to Jamaican parents and moved with her family to South Africa in the early '90s. She is currently completing her MA in museums, galleries and contemporary art at the University of Westminster, a programme run with the Tate Museum.

"I am interested in the culture of accessibility and diversity in these spaces and why they are still not accessible to certain groups," says Nembhard.

Yannick Ilunga, 25, has already established an impressive music career as Petite Noir.

Born in Brussels of Angolan and Congolese heritage, at 16 he started making music and sharing it online. A few years later, while studying towards a degree in sound engineering, he received an invitation to perform in London. He had to convince his academic parents to let him drop out of school and pursue his dream.

"After I played my first show I got a lot of offers from different labels, from Sony to Interscope Records," says Ilunga. He turned them down because the labels wanted to control his sound. He later signed with Domino, an independent label offering the freedom he was looking for. "Soon I was touring with just two songs. It was crazy."

Since then Ilunga's unusual sound as Petite Noir has taken him around the world. He has played festivals such as SXSW and has collaborated with Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def).

His latest album, La Vie Est Belle, has been praised by NPR and Pitchfork and is nominated for the best alternative album award at this year's South African Music Awards, which take place next weekend.

If psychology means we move towards images, then we need new imagery outside of those of slavery and apartheid

Nembhard and Ilunga got together while she was studying in Thailand and selling her accessories line, Drone Jewels, to clients such as M.I.A. and FKA Twigs.

Together they started a blog called Capital of Cool, which punted the creative thoughts of black people living in different parts of the world. For the past two years Nembhard has contributed to the art direction of Ilunga's music videos, album covers and overall style aesthetic.

"Noirwave", the term Ilunga coined, is often associated with the couple. "Noirwave started off as me sitting in my bedroom and mixing all these different music influences that were indefinable," says Ilunga.

It began as a musical description, but he and Nembhard believe it is becoming a movement, changing the way people engage with images of Africa.

"As Africans, we grow up not knowing ourselves," says Ilunga. "It starts from school - you have to think a certain way and you always want to fit in with a specific type of crowd. Because I was able to travel and break down my borders, it is now my duty to pass my knowledge forward."

Noirwave is about reshaping the narrow narratives of Africa; painting a new picture through music and political thought. It is inspired by the works of writers like Steve Biko and Frantz Fanon, but takes a more contemporary, relatable approach.

"We are trying to show that Africa is more than Kente cloth," says Nembhard. "If psychology means we move towards images, then we need new imagery outside of those of slavery and apartheid."

story_article_right2

Much of their inspiration is taken from pre-colonial Africa and Nembhard often sports accessories reminiscent of ancient African queens.

Some of these ideas are projected in Petite Noir's music video Best, which Nembhard directed with Travys Owen. In it, Petite Noir runs through a landscape of rich colours and encounters four tribes.

These represent the elements as well as the four points of the compass, making reference to a wide range of African indigenous cultures and beliefs.

The couple also collaborate with like-minded artists such as the visionary painter Lina Viktor, who designed the album cover for La Vie Est Belle and whose work makes reference to ancient Egypt and Hermetic culture.

Ilunga is excited about his SAMA nomination (he and Nembhard will wear outfits by local designers Black Coffee and Row G to the awards). No matter how well his music is received abroad, accolades from home are important to him.

But "whether I win the SAMA or not, I'll still be happy because we are seeing more artists on the platform, which is a sign of progress", he says.

The pair are about to launch their charity, the Noir Wave Foundation. "Giving back is important to us, because we feel like we have been blessed and it's only right for us to bless other people," says Nembhard.