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Charisse C is a South African-born, London-based DJ, producer, and singer whose refined take on styles like amapiano and gqom have earned critical acclaim. She is also one half of the electronic duo the Ascension, who made their eponymous debut in 2023. Charisse followed it in early 2024 with her first solo EP, Evergreen, released on her own Abantu label.

Though raised in England, Charisse C's South African and Zimbabwean roots have remained an essential part of her artistic life. She began her career as a writer, blogging about music in her teens, then going on to study journalism in London, where she began DJing. Fusing her journalistic instincts with music, she approached DJing as a further means of storytelling and in 2020 launched her Abantu show on the influential radio station No Signal. Her sets focused on a host of vibrant musical heritages all from the African subcontinent, and her mixes soon began to be featured on Boiler Room, BBC 1, and NTS. She also became more active as a live DJ, developing her bass-heavy amapiano style around London, Europe, and in South Africa. In 2022, Charisse C teamed up with singer and musician Koek Sista to form the Ascension, a project that further explored African influences in electronic music. The duo released their self-titled debut EP in October 2023. Early the following year, Charisse returned to making solo music, offering up the Evergreen EP as the inaugural release on her Abantu imprint. ~ Timothy Monger