anaiis with special guest Elliott Skinner @ FREMONT ABBEY

anaiis: https://www.anaiis.world

London-based polymath anaiis (whose name appears in lowercase as a tribute to educator, author and activist bell hooks) makes the kind of music that speaks to an innate sense of wonder. On her latest album Devotion & The Black Divine, the songs swell with emotional clarity as she lovingly pushes herself beyond the edges of her comfort zone.

Recorded live-to-tape at London’s 5db Studios, the record feels like a conversation with the natural world, our inner selves, and the power of recognising one’s own divinity. anaiis draws from the collective consciousness, and this time, that depth rests on a growing sense of homecoming. Not to a place, but to the self.

Born in Toulouse and raised between Dakar, Dublin and Oakland, her life in motion informs every note. After her 2018 debut “Nina”, she released this is no longer a dream in 2021. She went on to support Daniel Caesar on his UK tour and headlined a sold‑out Barbican show, then spoke at TEDxLondonWomen in London’s Southbank centre. She has toured with Mereba, performed at SXSW London in 2025, and delivered two acclaimed COLORS sessions for “vanishing” and “chuu”.

The new album reflects a deeper commitment to intuition and continues a transition that began in Brazil, where anaiis created a collaborative mini-album with Grupo Cosmo through live improvisation and her newborn son in tow. Each release adds dimension to the whole, tracing a lineage of diasporic collaboration and cross-cultural kinship.

From a young age, anaiis was drawn to voice as a vessel for feeling, inspired by artists like Ella Fitzgerald, whose singing she likened to a nightingale, “a singer of infinite song,” speaking in a recent New York Times article.

This early fascination grew into a broader creative lineage through the sacred work of Black thinkers and artists, not as echoes but as foundations that allowed her to explore her own voice. Nina Simone who cut through silence with urgent truth. Maya Angelou and James Baldwin who wrote from the depths of the soul’s undercurrents. Alice Walker’s spirited storytelling. Filmmakers like Ousmane Sembène who capture the nuances of resistance and identity. 

These influences shaped anaiis’ approach to creating with conviction, imagining with freedom and honouring curiosity as a compass. anaiis’ visual accompaniments to her music have long been an essential extension of her storytelling. Working closely with her partner Tayo Rapoport and detail-oriented collaborators like Ronan McKenzie, she builds out worlds through film to uncover an artform that invites us to sit between something that feels both fantastical and grounded all at once. 

Devotion & The Black Divine is soothing and spine-chilling at once, imbued with key messages of self-love. Rather than being defined by the past, anaiis moves towards something less contained and more aglow with possibility. Her voice stretches beyond its known range to seek out new qualities. On her new album, she speaks more about gratitude and acceptance than worry. An ongoing research on curbing the ego and the weight of fear. She captures the non-linear nature of healing and makes it feel beautiful through her tender lens.

Elliott Skinner: elliottskinnercreates.com

ELLIOTT SKINNER is a thoughtful artist with an ethereal approach to folk and soul music. His compositions are a beautiful example of what comes from the lineage of powerful and intentional Black expression. Today, the acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist announces How Far We’ve Come, his debut EP out September 18th via Ninja Tune. Along with the EP announcement, Skinner shares lead single “DON’T BE A RUNNER” along with a visualizer directed by Simon Morrison – LISTEN | WATCH.

Having worked alongside acclaimed artists including Chaka Khan, Jon Batiste, Zayne Malik, Chance the Rapper, Saya Gray, Eryn Allen Kane, Leon Bridges, Samora Pinderhughes, Amos Lee, Sam Smith, Jeremih, and more, Elliott Skinner is now stepping out on his own. His sound is both intimate and layered, marked by a deep focus on storytelling and the continuing of the Black Radical Music Tradition. Skinner spent a decade in New York City learning what community, practice, and art mean to him. Through a dedication to creating music that is an influential force for people to understand other people, Skinner aims for a freeing of the mind, digging into everything that love sits under, and a breakdown of the constructs that divide us.

@ Fremont Abbey Arts Center

7p doors, ~8p show

All ages, some seating available (not guaranteed unless reserved seat ticket is purchased)

Abbey Arts Bar offerings at this venue include various non-alcohol options + local beer, wine, cider & select cocktails for 21+, small snacks, etc.  Offerings may vary based on show size & staffing. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

ABBEY ARTS EVENT INFO:

• Fremont Abbey is ADA accessible on either level.

• For most events we have a mix of padded chairs and standing room.

• Seating is not guaranteed or reserved unless noted.

• To respect the performing artists and your fellow attendees, please refrain from talking during the quieter performances.  Those unable to adhere to this guideline may be asked to leave (no refunds).  

• Please limit photos & video during the show so as to not distract other attendees from the experience.

• Phone and video may be permitted for some shows from the standing area only please.

• No professional cameras or cameras with shutters allowed in the venue

• We are an all ages venue. Kids 10 & under are free at Abbey Arts concerts & arts events unless noted.  Program content may vary, please use your own discretion. 

• Equity & Inclusion - Entering the venue indicates agreement to adhere to the Abbey Respect Policy. www.fremontabbey.org/respect

• Service animals as defined by the ADA are allowed. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

• Purchasing a ticket with us indicates sharing your email and we may send you occasional new show listings or other newsletter fun from Abbey Arts. You can opt out easily anytime. For events produced in collaboration with third-party curators or co-promoters, we may share attendee email addresses with those specific partners on events they are curating. We will never sell your email or data.