Shekhinah (singer)
South African pop musician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shekhinah Thandi Donnell (born 2 October 1994), known mononymously as Shekhinah, is a South African singer-songwriter, who was among the Top 32 of M-Net's Season 7 of SA Idols in 2011 and the Top 6 of Season 8 of SA Idols in 2012.[6]
Shekhinah | |
|---|---|
| |
| Background information | |
| Born | 2 October 1994 |
| Origin | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Label | Sony Music[5] |
| Website | shekhinahd |
Her debut studio album Rose Gold (2017), became her best-selling album and was certified Multi-Platinum by the RiSA.[7][8][9] Rose Gold produced three number-one singles: "Suited"; "Please Mr." and "Different".
Her second studio album Trouble In Paradise (2021) was certified Gold by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA).
Career
2016-2021: Rose Gold, Trouble In Paradise
In 2017, Shekinah released her lead single "Suited", which peaked at No. 1 on South Africa Music charts and was certified diamond by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) later that year.[10] In 2018, "Please Mr" and "Different" were released, with "Please Mr" acquiring a gold certification from RiSA.[11]
On October 6, 2017, her debut studio album Rose Gold was released in South Africa by Sony Music Entertainment Africa. Written solely by Shekinah, and including production credits from David Scott, DJ Maphorisa, Luke Goliath and Mae N. Maejor, the result was an afro-pop and rnb record. Rose Gold went on to become her best-selling album and was certified multi-platinum in South Africa, primarily through the success of the three singles spawned: "Suited"; "Please Mr." and "Different".
The album earned her 6 nominations at the 2018 South African Music Awards, winning the New-comer of the Year, Album of the Year, and Female Artist of the Year awards.
On 7 May 2021, her second studio album Trouble In Paradise, was released in South Africa.[12][13] The album was supported by two singles; "Fixate" and "Tide", and reached a Gold certification from the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA).
"Fixate" debuted at number 1 on RAMS Chart.[14]
2023-present: Upcoming album
In early March 2023, Shekinah announced her upcoming third studio album, and its lead single "Risk" featuring Moliy.[15] The single was released on 22 March 2024.
"Risk" debuted No. 9 on the Local Radio Chart Top 10.[16]
Discography
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certification | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa (EMA) | |||||||||||||
| "Back To The Beach" (with Kyle Deutsch ) | 2015 | RiSA: Gold[17][18][19] | Non-album single | ||||||||||
| "Let You Know" (with Sketchy Bongo ) | 2[20] | — | Unmasked | ||||||||||
| "Suited" | 2017 | 1 | RiSA: Diamond[10][21][22][23] | Rose Gold | |||||||||
| "Please Mr" | 2018 | 1 | RiSA: Platinum[24][11][25] | ||||||||||
| "Different" | 2018 | 1 | RiSA: Gold[24][11][25] | ||||||||||
| "Risk" (ft. Moliy ) | 2024 | 3[26] |
Less Trouble data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | Non-album single | ||||||||||
| "Steady" | — |
Less Troubledata-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | Non-album single Less Trouble | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | ||||
| "Whipped" (Tellaman ft. Shekhinah and Nasty C ) | 2019 | 1 | 5× Platinum[27] | God Decides |
| "God Laughs" (A-Reece ft. Sjava and Shekhinah ) | 2023 | 16[28] | P2: The Big Hearted Bad Guy |
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Gold[29] |
|
RISA: Multi-Platinum |
| Trouble In Paradise [30] | Released: 7 May 2021
Label: Sony Music Entertainment Africa Formats: CD, Music download, Streaming |
RiSA: Gold |
| Less Trouble | Released: Self-released
Label: 8 August 2025 Formats: Music download, Streaming |
Awards and nominations
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Totals[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nominations | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note
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Basadi in Music Awards
Metro FM Music Awards
South African Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Back to the Beach (Shekhinah & Kyle Deutsch) |
Best Collaboration[35][36] | Nominated |
| 2018 | Best Pop Album[37] | Nominated | |
| Best Produced Album[38] | Nominated | ||
| Record of the Year[38] | Nominated | ||
| New Comer of the Year[38] | Won | ||
| Album of the Year[39] | Won | ||
| Female Artist of the Year[37] | Won | ||
| 2022 | Trouble in Paradise | Best Pop Album[40] | Won |
| Female Artist of the Year | Nominated |
MTV Africa Music Awards
MTV European Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Shekhinah | Best African Act | Nominated |
All Africa Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | |||
| Album of the Year[43] | Nominated | ||
| Best African Dance & Choreography[43] | Nominated | ||
| Best Artiste/Group In African RnB & Soul[43] | Nominated | ||
| Revelation Of The African Continent[43] | Nominated | ||
| Best Female Artist in Southern Africa[44] | Won | ||
| Songwriter Of The Year[44] | Won | ||
| 2021 | "Fixate" | Best Female Artist in South Africa[45] | Nominated |
KZN Entertainment Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Herself | Best Female Artist [46] | Nominated |
