Beckah Amani’s debut EP, April, features a one-sided romance, climate change and a Black girl growing up in Australia. Her radio-friendly slow jams, which are influenced by Rihanna, Adele, Ed Sheeran and Nina Simone, won her Emerging Artist in the 2021 Queensland Music Awards and landed her on NME and The Music’s 2023 lists of artists to watch. 

‘At the heart of my songwriting is storytelling,’ Amani explains. ‘I write from a vulnerable place and aim to make people feel deeply and reflect. “I Don’t Know Why I Don’t Leave You” was a mix of fiction and real-life heartbreak, inspired by Twilight and The Notebook. A lot of people relate to the fact that even though you know someone can break your heart, you can’t help but find one more reason to stick around when you should let go.’

WOMADelaide audiences will hear Amani’s afro-infused, soulful set performed with a live band, a first for the 23-year-old artist who was born in Tanzania and moved to Australia aged eight. ‘It’s so exciting,’ she says, about performing at her first large music festival. ‘There are too many artists on the WOMADelaide line-up that I hope to catch, but Genesis Owusu, Bon Iver, Florence + The Machine, Sampa The Great, and Aurora are top of my list.’

After performing tracks including ‘Standards’, where her soaring vocals describe feeling shamed at school for her afro hair, or ‘The Hills’ (namechecking London’s O2 Arena where she dreams to sing one day), Amani will tour Australia before working on her next project in London. ‘Since the EP came out, it’s been amazing to see how my music has connected with people all over the world, in places that I wouldn’t have expected. As an artist, I’ve grown a lot and have so much more knowledge and confidence.’ 

Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla, 11 & 12 March, times tbc.