Manuwi C Tokai is a singer from the Kalinya Terewuyu Nation from the Amazone, Akarani. She grew up in The Netherlands. Her work is influenced by the songs that she learned from the elders from the Terewuyu community. Together with bassplayer Roland Sie she blends the sounds from her ancestors with the jazz and pop vibes that signature the current age. Her work is deeply related to the work that she does as a human rights activist. She is a community builder and has been organising actions like the 2020 Black Life Matters protest in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. She facilitated many conversations for the emancipation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color and has workt together with many others on the zwartmanifest.nl . Manuwi is currently also working on archiving the Kalinya Terewuyu language’s true songs and is advocating for the preservation of indingenous languages and culture.

Manuwi: ‘’Both as an artist and an activist I create space for narratives that society is consciously and unconsciously trying to push away. The vibration of music can allow us to feel latent emotions that are related to our ancestral heritage and stories. I try to use ancient knowledge from my nation in a way that suits the current day and age. With my music I hope to contribute to an experience that will help to both ask, and digest questions that might be considered too uncomfortable to deal with.’’

Picture credits: CliffSAN Phography