By Chika Moses (@CMoses_Jrnalist)

If you are a music lover and haven’t yet heard of Zaki Ibrahim, which I hadn’t up until 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, then you are certainly in for a treat. This talented and impressive South African singer wows in her first ever album, Every Opposite.
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Zaki Ibrahim, prior to her first full album offering, has released award winning EPs, making her mark as a recording and performing artist of note. Her 2008 EP, Eclectica: Episodes in Purple earned her a Juno Award nomination for Best R&B Recording in 2009 for the King Britt-produced Money.
Her debut album is produced by Tiago Correia-Paulo, who attributes the success of Every Opposite on one thing. Her voice. “Zaki has an extraordinary voice and no instrument – not even an orchestra – would be able to compete with it,” says Tiago who handled most of the musical direction for the album.
The pair have been working together since 2005 when the Canadian-born singer toured with his band, Tumi and the Volume. Both Zaki and Tiago are credited with building the score for award-winning South African film Otelo Burning.
One of Zaki’s three songs for the film, “Something in the Water” produced by DJ Catalist, is also the lead single in Every Opposite.
You’ll hear strains of these dance formats deconstructed alongside pop, indie, soul, Hip-hop and afro beat sounds to create an utterly comprehensive album that is plural in its reach – (Every Opposite was recorded in eight different places) – and singular in its captivating effect.
Sade, Stevie Wonder, Zap Mama, Radiohead, and J. Dilla counting are just some of the icons Zaki names as life-long inspirations.
“It’s told as a fable and is set in the future, says the singer/song-writer who counts her fascination with science fiction as a major influence for her album’s loose narrative.



