Lemonella
We continue to keep the Yamba spirit alive through music. That's why this week, we bring you a magical set by Lemonella, South African born artist and poet.
Her work has an alchemical quality to it; rooted in an intimate observation of the inner and outer environment and then blending diverse elements (video, collage, sound, poetry)in way that we've never seen before. Her sound encompasses themes of sensuality, playfulness and harmony. We hope this mix heightens your senses and lifts your spirit.
What's the idea behind the mix? And which is the track you wanted to play the most?
Every mix is creating a story. It usually begins slowly, gradually ascending to a peak before descending again in energy and mood. I wanted to create something triumphant. It’s hard to choose which track I wanted to play the most because it’s about the interconnection of the whole for me, but I was happy to include two of my own, Post Hallucination off my ‘Garden of Delight’ EP, and a new track soon to be released called Undiscovered Colour. I ended the mix with a live take of Kate Tempest’s Firesmoke, which is just pure and raw truth for me, and hopefully a little healing balm for the Yamba family at this time.
What did you want to portray with your 'Plant Poetry' mixtapes?
The concept of Plant Poetry is to imagine the energetic frequencies of plants through music and storytelling. Plants are a reminder of the basic ingredients for life - water, light, earth and air. They are also receptors of energy, and to my imagination, their language is one of sensitivity, beauty and the subtle joys of being. We cannot really talk about human history without talking about the (symbiotic) relationship we have with plants. So it’s about sharing that perspective, and getting back to the roots.
We noticed you have a very cinematic and poetic approach to your music and sets. Tell us a little bit about this process.
Thank you! Actually, watching movies and tv shows as a teenager was where I first started collecting music, and I remember how easily my emotions were manipulated by the soundtrack! I have a background in journalism making narrative important for me and I am a poet, so there is also something that is always trying to transform the mundane, and make life feel like it was a movie. Taking a walk with my headphones and just watching the different scenes of life pass by can easily do that for me. I also love the concept of sonic cinema. Since music speaks to the subconscious mind, we can be listening to the same sound but it will touch us differently based on our personal experience - our traumas, sensitivities, fears, desires, and thus putting everyone in the movie of their own experience. Obviously, images are more literal and leave less for the imagination to interpret.
What is the main message you want to pass through your music?
I don’t really have a message, it’s more about sharing a perspective and an expression of something deep within my soul, and when that resonates with someone else, that connection feels rewarding. I like to create soundscapes of feeling that flow into each other, that are in a sense a part of each other. It’s both an expression of playfulness and healing; playful in the way of celebrating the wonder and joy of the living world we are a part of, and healing in the way of reviving a forgotten connection to it. That is the truest definition of healing for me right now, to remember what we are. And if we can feel, we can remember.
Was there a time in your life where you had to start over? Tell us more about it.
I have started over so many times. Honestly, sometimes it feels like I’ve lived ten different lives, from moving to foreign cities, to painful breakups, to having to let go of old versions and concepts of who I thought I was and what life was about. These things are painful but can also be an opportunity to become resilient, authentic and open. In truth, it’s never really starting again, even though it appears like it is. How we integrate change and transformation in order to carry on in a new and hopefully more wise way, even if we didn’t decide on those changes, is what's important.