Refiloe Rantsieng

Refiloe Rantsieng is a singer-songwriter born, bred and buttered in Vosloorus, Johannesburg- South Africa. She began singing as early as the age of four. She later enrolled and graduated from The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for girls. Her high school career saw her performing to Miss Winfrey on countless occasions; she vividly remembers moving people to tears when she sang Wind Beneath My Wings for Oprah Winfrey in 2010.

In 2013- 2014 during her brief period at the University of Cape Town, she performed at the Baxter Theatre with a poetry and music collective called Whispers of Wisdom, including Siya Njica and Sechaba Nkitseng. In 2016, Refiloe was profiled in a documentary titled O-Girls by Fusion Network. In the documentary, she performs and speaks about her journey after the leadership Academy.

In September 2018, she had the honour of being hosted by the Mafalala Festival organisers in Mafalala - sharing a stage with Mozambique songstress Rhodalia Silvestre and Brazilian Poet Cleyton Mendes.

In July 2019, she was a delegate at the inaugural annual Poetry and Performance Art Festival in Maputo hosted by the CCMA Goethe- Institute Poetas D’Alma- where she performed with Argentinian guitarist Lalo Aleman and Mbalango Mbalango from Maputo on Mbira. In an article by Sunday World, Refiloe dapped the fresh face of folk music carrying the baton for Southern African Folk Music. Refiloe featured in a Femi Koya tribute show to Fela Kuti where she had the honour of paying tribute to Miriam Makeba with Zenzi Lee Makeba. She describes her music as soul-moving, heritage quest inducing sounds inspired by Miriam Makeba, Oumou Sangare and Busi Mhlongo.

Refiloe was a fellow of the Music In Africa Instrument Building and Repairs workshop in 2020. She says she had a fulfilling experience as she explored the value chain of Indigenous African Instruments and the spiritual/cultural significance of the Mbira in the Southern African region. She now understands the importance of preserving our instruments in the larger picture of celebrating our heritage.

Refiloe considers herself an art/cultural activist, as the founder of a literary organisation Pale Tsa Ngwedi aimed at promoting reading and writing African stories; and, ultimately, reverting to preserving indigenous knowledge systems such as oral folk narratives in a digital
era.

Refiloe Rantsieng's debut E.P Elements of Freedom - produced by Congolese producer Richard Kabuya - was released in September 2021, shortly after Heritage Day. The E.P has been featured in a short film by the NFVF titled Isiko. Songs such as Makhamandela and Isiko Lami have been played on Nicky B's World Show on Kaya FM.