Lonnie Mak: Manifesting the Divine Feminine

Image by @forestgyalz

What is creation if not the expression of the self? And what is the self if not our truest form? 

Allow Lonnie Mak to grant you an opportunity to experience authentic artistic expression; a feminine spirit delving deep into the Cape Town scene, echoing themes of heritage, resilience and sensuality through her music. 

For Lonwabo Makubalo, Lonnie Mak is only an amplification of who she is. “It’s not a persona. I would say it’s me, in my truest form.”

Music has always been what comes intuitively to Lonnie if she ever feels the need to create. Despite coming from a family of doctors and accountants, she has always been urged to realise her dreams.

“And then it got to a point where I had to decide what I wanted to do, and my dad was just like, just go for it.”   

Lonnie performing at The Sunday Show - Image by @visualsbyeli

A voice that now resonates with the message:

“There is beauty in painting a story with your lyrics.” 

As is the plight of artists, creation is not a simple task. It requires presence and sacrifice in the name of love, love of self and other.

Lonnie takes the path of patience. She understands that forcing creativity and sincerity cannot ever go together, “Everything about the music, I embody myself as an artist every day.”  Long after a song may feel complete, she carves and shapes it to give it character, as she does with herself. 

Beyond creating music, Lonnie also wishes to create a space for the young creative souls interested in music. She wants to create the spaces that she did not have, whether that be introducing the power of making music to the youth or working towards starting a production company. “I also wanna provide a space for other kids to learn how to produce and do music like I am… just providing opportunities that I never had.” 

The cover for Lonnie’s latest single, ‘F.F.Y.’ - Cover Art by @visualsbyeli

Her new single F.F.Y aims to take you back in time, being inspired by the sounds of old-school South African RnB, echoing artists like Lira and Snoh Aalegra. The lyrics speak with a more personal tone.

“I knew what I wanted the narrative of the song to be… The song is really just about me having trouble trusting a significant other in a relationship, due to a really difficult relationship I’ve had in the past with a parental figure… that has really impacted the trust that I have in new relationships, whether it be romantic or not.”

But as music has the power to have her experience herself in her truest form, F.F.Y has given her an opportunity to heal these wounds and grow closer to herself.

“At the end of the day, the song really just resolves in me deciding to allow myself to experience this relationship and trust the person in this relationship and not allow my past experiences to affect how I move forward with new people.” 

Creating art is not only a way of expressing yourself – it is a catalyst in self-discovery. 

Image by @visualsbyeli