Biography — Charisse C

dj. artist. producer.

storyteller. founder.

Charisse C can best be described as a multi-faceted powerhouse; Artist, DJ, Writer, and Curator. Founder of Abantu, a people-first cultural hub and record label, connecting Southern Africa to the world through music, events, and storytelling. As well as, one half of The Ascension: an immersive live experiment that presents new imagining of electronic music from the African continent.

Rooted in her Zimbabwean and South African heritage, raised in the UK. Charisse C has been recognised as an ambassador for Southern African music in the UK for ten years, acclaimed by Mixmag as “building a bridge between continents,” coined one of 2022’s “Break Through DJs of The Year,” and acknowledged as “an authority” by Benji B in iD magazine.

2024 saw Charisse C championed by Beatport’s Next up programme; as she released her debut EP ‘EVERGREEN’ under her own label, adding Singer/Songwriter to her already illustrious belt. Followed by a second EP called ‘Abantu Means People’ in 2025, created during a recording camp Charisse C hosted with 10 handpicked African artists in the British diaspora.

The ‘Abantu Means People’ EP, was reviewed by DJ Mag as a “devotion to authenticity” and “a bridge between South Africa and the UK that not only connects dancefloors, but fuses them towards Charisse C’s own fascinating creole.”

The multifaceted tastemaker plays an eclectic span of shows internationally, from the IICON stage at Glastonbury, to B2B with James Blake at his CYMK night, supporting Black Coffee in Cannes and pioneering Amapiano in Ibiza with Boiler Room. Charisse’s C sound is curious, soulful and bass-heavy; commanding international dance floors with a playful and intentional demeanour.

Abantu, which she started as a radio show and podcast in 2020, has since evolved into a record label and party curated and headlined by Charisse C herself. Known for its unparalleled curation and unique experience, sold out shows at iconic venues like London’s Village Underground, booking South African artists such as Dlala Thukzin for his European debut, alongside local heroes.

This remarkable journey began with Charisse C as a Music Journalist; a storyteller carving a unique space in the global electronic music landscape.