Melane

My first solo album, "Mirrors & Windows", is coming out on March 28! 🎉 Before I even begin, I have to thank & @budderino & @colinldf without them, this album wouldn’t exist. I wouldn’t have been able to pull through and make it happen. It’s been eight years of experimentation, play, trial and error—stripping things down to the essence, focusing on the most interesting elements, and embracing challenges. In the process, I practically became my own producer, sound engineer, arranger, mixing & mastering coordinator, grant writer, graphic designer, accountant, illustrator, video grapher, project manager, press agent, label outreach coordinator, copyright & licensing expert (GEMA, etc.), and general organizer—everything it takes to bring an album to life. They say it takes a village to raise a child—well, it takes a community to support the arts. So, thank you all! ❤️ Graphic Design & Montage: Bastian Caspar/Melane Nkounkolo . . . . . . #MirrorsAndWindows #ThankYou #Grateful #MusicProduction #IndependentArtist #MusicProducer #AlbumRelease #CreativeProcess #SelfMade #MusicIndustry #ArtistLife #PassionProject #BehindTheScenes #HandmadeMusic

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of “finding your village.” For the longest time, I thought I wanted a tribe - people who fully understand me, people who feel aligned, people who feel easy to love. But if I’m being honest, I never really understood what it means to actually be part of a village. Because a village also means responsibility. Effort. Presence. It means showing up consistently. It means being around people you may not fully understand or even naturally like all the time. And I’ve realized that part of me has always been afraid of that.Sometimes I feel this pull toward creating small gatherings at home, bringing people together, creating warmth, conversations, softness, shared moments. And then another part of me wants to retreat immediately after. I think many of us want connection, but without the discomfort that sometimes comes with real community. At the same time, we live in a world where people constantly want more - more attention, more success, more validation - while being deeply disconnected from themselves. And lately I’ve been learning to pay attention to the small things instead. The really small things. Who am I around? How does my body feel around certain people? Can my nervous system actually rest here? We always talk about creating safety for the nervous system, yet we live in a world that is incredibly loud, overstimulating, unfair, and emotionally disconnected. A world where softness often feels unsafe. Especially for women. Maybe that’s why these quiet moments mean so much to me lately. The moments in these pictures. The stillness. The care. The slowness. I want reciprocity. Soul friendship. Presence Connections that don’t leave me questioning. I want to be able to come to you softly. Without armor. Without constantly having to be strong or rebellious just to survive the room. Because peace is no longer just an idea to me. It’s becoming a way of living. And don’t worry - I’ll still be creating in the background. Making music, writing, connecting, growing. Quietly. But if you don’t see me anymore, you know the deal. . . . #softlife #presence #create #connect #innerpeace

Allow me to reintroduce myself. I think I’ll keep doing that over and over again. When I released my debut album“Mirrors & Windows“ , I finally understood what people mean when they say: learn every step. Understand the process behind the work. Read. Study the music business. Know your rights. But that’s only one part of it.Meeting people, listening, connecting - that matters just as much. I make music. Sometimes loud, sometimes quiet. I’m political because I honestly don’t know how not to be. Racism, Queer- and transphobia have no place here. Ever. And the insecurities I had back then - even if it didn’t look like it from the outside - are something I want to use today to empower others. Because a lot of us, especially Black people, grow up feeling like we always have to be “hard” just to survive or be taken seriously. And I love my baby @beautifulcolours__ . Even if I post there in German, because this is where I live. The thing is: you’ll probably keep discovering different sides of me. I’m still evolving, still becoming. And I think that’s a beautiful thing. So tell me - how did you find your way here? . . . . #AllowMeToReintroduceMyself #Welcome #IndependentArtist #Hello #BehindTheScenes

Happy Father’s Day. X I think many people don’t understand how many generations were raised without love, emotional safety, or tenderness. Especially in many African families and across the diaspora, a lot of men carry unprocessed trauma within them. War, displacement, poverty, racism, patriarchy, emotional suppression. Many were never held, never seen, never allowed to be soft. I think we live in a system where men, too, are victims of patriarchy - their pain just often shows up differently. None of this excuses harmful behavior. Not emotionally absent fathers. Not men who hurt women. But at some point I had to understand: people often pass down only what they themselves have known.And maybe the strangest part is that you are made from both of your parents. I have many of my father’s facial features. And I think many people know that feeling when someone says, “You look just like your father” or “You act just like him.” Those words used to trigger me deeply because I wanted nothing to do with the painful or negative parts I associated with him. But I think peace and freedom only begin once you are able to understand yourself, accept yourself, and love yourself fully - including the parts of you that come from people who hurt you. #FathersDay #AfricanDiaspora #BlackMen #Healing #Fatherhood

Some of us grow up carrying identities the world assigns to us before we can define ourselves. Existing between places, between languages, between versions of who we are supposed to be. Never fully one thing, never fully the other.Always asked where we really belong. But maybe belonging was never about geography. Maybe it lives in memory, in rhythm, in the parts of ourselves that feel familiar without explanation. In the drums, the movement, the traditional rhythms that somehow always find their way into my music - like something ancient speaking through me before I even understand it myself. Not because I was born in Congo, but because Congo was born in me. . . . . #congo #ancestral #rhythm #afrodiaspora #africa

Daymé Arocen @daymearocena x I’m genuinely grateful I got to discover this music with such “virgin ears.” I’m want to start speaking Spanish because of you lol, but for real - this concert was unbelievably beautiful and intimate. My soul felt clear like crystal tonight, because even if I don’t fully speak the language yet, I still felt how deeply we met each other through something older — through rhythm, spirit, memory, through Africa, through the Motherland. Somewhere beyond words, I recognized something familiar. Congo. Africa. Connection. At the same time, it made me reflect on how important it is to have someone who takes your hand in music - someone who believes not only in themselves, but also in you. People often underestimate this, but I finally understood: having a mentor, a role model, someone who opens doors for you, is almost essential. The music industry can feel overwhelming, and the right guidance can become an accelerator that replaces years of trial and error. Sometimes what changes everything is simply having someone beside you who says: “I believe in you.” And a huge thank you and bravo to @claudia_ramos_barreto - you are an incredible musician. Thank you @mirta_live for introducing me! ♥️ Thank you 🙏🏾 . . . #DaymeArocena #concert # #cuba #africa

Two years ago today, the vocals for “Mirrors and Windows” were created - even though I had all the equipment at home, I just couldn’t make it work, so I went over to @colinldf and we recorded them together. This photo was taken during that session. Now the album has already turned one year old. Looking back, I’ve learned a lot since then. I was dealing with tonsillitis and a lot of stress, and I kept pushing my voice anyway. It made me realize how closely my voice is connected to my mental state. What I’ve really taken from it is to come back to the origin: making music out of love, not pressure. . . . #MirrorsAndWindows #Anniversary #nopressure #RecordingSession #albumrelease

I’m so excited to finally see you all live 💛 On July 19th at 6:00 PM, I’ll be performing at the Rosengarten - bringing you fresh sounds with a beautiful band and musicians, deeply rooted in Congolese vibes. If you love Afro rhythms and West African dances… this is your moment. Be ready to move, be ready to feel it 🔥 Not what you expected… get ready to dance ✨ Get your tickets, I can’t wait! 🎶 . . . #LiveMusic #FestivalVibes #summerconcerts #wangerooge #worldmusic

This journey with the balafon was raw, real, and full of soul – every note telling its own story. The balafon is a traditional West African percussion instrument, similar to a xylophone, with wooden keys and gourd resonators that amplify its deep, rich tones. Originating from the Mandé people of Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, it has been played for centuries in storytelling, ceremonies, and celebrations. Each note carries history, keeping the rhythm of African heritage alive! Merci @alykeitabalafon 🙏🏾 . . . . #Balafon #africa #culturalheritage #westafricanmusic

Grateful to be part of “Music spricht – this time also as a Community musician. Coming from a largely autodidactic background, I’m especially interested in how musical knowledge emerges through practice: through trying, listening, exchanging, and unlearning, rather than following fixed paths. What feels particularly relevant in this project is that the way we talk about music mediation actually shows up in how we work together: collaborative, process-based, and shaped by multiple perspectives. For me, this is also a starting point - to reflect, to question, and to possibly develop new approaches and concepts out of this experience. Curious to see how this continues to unfold! . . . #communitymusic #transculturalmusic #musiceducation #process #diversity

This weekend: pure love. The kind of energy that calms me, grounds me, and gives me hope. 🤍 . . . . . #gratitude #purelove #softlife #staygrounded #presentmoment #energyiseverything #goodenergy #innerpeace

Mirrors & Windows turned ONE year old! 🎉 I still can’t believe how fast this year has gone & it feels like just yesterday we put it out into the world. Even more amazing are the messages I still get from you — telling me which lines stuck with you, which moments hit home, or how a verse spoke to your heart. That means absolutely everything to me. Thank you for listening, feeling, and sharing this journey with me. 🌺 . . . . #anniversary #oneyear #mirrorsandwindows #thankyou #hbd