Nakhane

EARLY LIFE

Nakhane was born Nakhane Lubabalo Mavuso on 3 February 1988 in Alice, a small rural town in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, into a Xhosa family. They were raised by their grandmother until the age of five. At around seven they were adopted by their aunt and her husband; they subsequently took the surname Mahlakahlaka and later dropped their middle name. They grew up in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in a Christian household. Their aunt was a classically trained opera singer, and the home mixed Handel, Mozart, Bach, Marvin Gaye, and the O’Jays. Nakhane sang in church choirs from a young age, performed a Christmas carol solo at seven (the moment they decided they wanted to be an artist), played piano, classical trombone, steel drums and other instruments at school, and sang in choirs and wind/steel bands. At 15 they moved to Johannesburg. They came out as gay to friends and cousins around 17. At 19 they were outed to their aunt by the mother of an ex-girlfriend, leading to visits to prophets, conversion therapy efforts, and a period of intense religiosity in a conservative Baptist church (including preaching against homosexuality). After about five years of internal conflict, guilt, and secrecy, they left the church around age 25 following a personal breakdown. James Baldwin’s work was a major influence during this period.

CAREER

Music Nakhane began writing songs after receiving an acoustic guitar at 19 and performed in open-mic venues. They adopted the stage name Nakhane Touré in tribute to Ali Farka Touré and pan-African ideals. Debut album Brave Confusion (2013) – acoustic/folk-influenced, exploring race, religion, and sexuality. Won Best Alternative Album at the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) in 2014. Collaboration with Black Coffee on the club hit “We Dance Again” (2015). Second album You Will Not Die (2018, deluxe edition 2019) – more electronic, autobiographical, recorded largely in London with producer Ben Christophers. Influenced by David Bowie’s Low and Nina Simone. Won Best Alternative Album at the SAMAs (2019). Featured a collaboration with Anohni. The album was widely acclaimed (Pitchfork, Q, Clash). Third album Bastard Jargon (2023) – a shift toward pop, disco, funk, and up-tempo sounds described by Nakhane as an “existentialist sex album.” Features collaborators including Nile Rodgers (executive producer and guest), Perfume Genius, Moonchild Sanelly, and others. Their music has been championed by Elton John (who interviewed them) and Madonna (who cited them as one of her favourite artists and said their work influenced Madame X). Acting Lead role as Xolani in John Trengove’s Inxeba (The Wound) (2017) – a critically acclaimed film about Xhosa initiation (ulwaluko) and a queer relationship. South Africa’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar (shortlisted). Nakhane won Best Actor awards at the Durban International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), and Valencia International Film Festival Cinema Jove. The film faced significant controversy, protests, reclassification attempts, and death threats directed at Nakhane. Other credits include Anthem: Homunculus (podcast musical by John Cameron Mitchell, 2019), Two Eyes (2020), Ear for Eye (debbie tucker green, 2021), and the short Crave (2024). Writing Debut novel Piggy Boy’s Blues (2015) – set in Alice and Port Elizabeth, portraying a Xhosa royal family. Nominated for the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize and the Etisalat Prize for Fiction. Contributions to literary journals and anthologies (including Jalada Africa and Exhale), as well as arts writing for publications such as New Frame and Arts24. Film Directing Directorial debut short film B(l)ind the Sacrifice (world premiere at Locarno Film Festival 2024 in the Pardi di Domani section; also screened at other festivals including Stockholm and Sundance). Written and directed by Nakhane; explores religious tension, ancestral beliefs, and a modern reimagining of the Abraham and Isaac story. Features Nandi Nyembe and others. They have expressed interest in expanding it into a feature.

PERSONAL LIFE

Nakhane is openly non-binary (they came out publicly as non-binary around 2021) and queer. Their work frequently explores identity, sexuality, religion, family, race, and self-acceptance. They relocated to London around 2018 (initially for practical touring and recording reasons; they have also spoken about the challenges of returning to parts of South Africa after backlash related to their film work). They keep detailed current romantic relationships private. They have spoken about living with a dog and balancing creative work with personal life.

Nakhane has been recognised as a trailblazing queer artist (Queerty Pride50 in 2019). Their multidisciplinary work spans music, literature, acting, and directing, often confronting themes of identity, faith, sexuality, and cultural expectation with honesty and artistic range. They are represented for literary and screen work and continue to develop TV and film projects.