Rahel

“There's something about Rahel's voice that's overwhelmingly special.” – Interview Mag Hailing from the upper reaches of New York City's hinterlands, Bronx-bred vocalist & songwriter Rahel descends upon the world of progressive R&B all aglow. Rahel's February 2015 debut release Alkali was a passionately articulated summation of experiences to that point. As the daughter of Eritrean expats, Rahel's push towards creative discovery was an exercise in transculturalism. Armed with a musical background in 19th century classical choral music and vocal jazz ensemble, it would be the vibe and energy of early-00's NYC that brought context to terms with technique. During her stint as an African-American Studies major at Wesleyan University, she met fellow New York artist and now Camp & Street label-head Le1f, and lent her dynamic vocals to his early mixtapes. In the years following this fortuitous meeting, Rahel has leveraged her private school education along with a devoted presence in NYC's underground club scene into a career that takes a subversive approach to Black women's presence in the music industry and art world. Her songs paint a spectrum of emotion from crestfallen to emboldened, with tonal serenades immersed in cascading instrumentals from some of the scene's most boundary pushing producers. With a voice likened to Aaliyah, Ashanti, and Nivea, among others, the singer evokes a nostalgia for classic '90s R&B. Her choice of glimmering, future-facing production firmly lands her at the forefront of R&B's newer, insistently passionate wave. On stage, Rahel enchants audiences with a wit and charm indicative of her borough-hopping habits. Look forward to more of Rahel on the horizon, casting spells and singing nights into sin on a stage near you.