...in R&B/Soul, Province

Filah Lah Lah

Reabetswe Fila Ranamane, professionally known as Filah, is a model, writer, singer, and songwriter.

Background

Born in Pretoria, Ranamane and her parents moved to Los Angeles when she was just 9 days old, then again to Indonesia at 5 years old. She returned to Pretoria at the age of 10, and credits her early years abroad to enriching her cultural awareness. Even more influential to her eventual art, Ranamane's father introduced her to a wide range of Black musicians. His love for music inspired her to aspire towards the medium. Her influences include Nina Simone, Biggie Smalls, Miles Davis, and Diana Ross.

Despite setting off her love for music, her parents preferred pursual of a more traditional career, so she started studying law. While in university, her roomate's boyfriend enlisted her as a backup singer for his band, later moving her to lead singer. After the band broke up, she'd post videos of her singing over typebeats online, leading to her discovery by Mike Kalambo. Mike took the role of her mentor and produced her debut EP, Filahsofy, in 2020. This was followed by 2021's We're Gonna Be Just Fine and her major label debut, ON AIR.