Lady Shaka
Lady Shaka is a multifaceted DJ, producer and interdisciplinary artist whose rich heritage spans Samoan, Tokelauan, Mā’ohi (Tahitian), Māori and Cape Verdean roots.
Already established as one of the most exciting voices in global club culture, the past 12 months have marked another landmark chapter in Lady Shaka’s career. Her short film Sonic Sands premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival, while her international debut performances included Pitch Music Festival, Amnesia Ibiza, Hideout Festival, Couleur Café, Rinse FM, Lollapalooza Berlin and Warehouse Project, to name a few.
She also joined Nathy Peluso, Kehlani and Jess B on tour, and was invited to perform at RAYE’s All Points East alongside Tyla, JADE and FKA twigs. Lady Shaka graced the cover of Mixmag ANZ and was named one of Mixmag’s 2025 Breakthrough Artists of the Year. She also curated the first-ever Māori and Pasifika stage takeover at Glastonbury Festival, before performing at the grand opening of the new Oceania Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Following the success of ‘E Tu’, ‘Good Times’ featuring Rubi Du, and ‘Korikori’ featuring Huia and Rei, she remixed FLO for Island Records and collaborated with Stan Walker and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke on a remix of ‘Mō Āke Tonu’.
Her latest single, ‘Sweat’ features Gunai/Kurnai and Yorta Yorta artist DJ PGZ, UK producer Karma Kid, Italian-Australian artist DoloRRes and Brazilian artist Zaila. This globetrotting posse cut moves seamlessly between languages and cultures as the artists trade verses, culminating in a commanding rap debut from Lady Shaka herself.
Written during the NLV Records-curated APRA AMCOS SongHubs at Wisseloord Studios in Amsterdam during Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) 2025, Lady Shaka says “This record is a reminder; you don’t need English to make a banger or to stick to one kind of sound. It’s proof that unexpected languages like Portuguese, Italian and Te Reo Māori can collide and create something beautiful.”
With several exciting projects waiting in the wings, Lady Shaka’s momentum shows no signs of slowing.
Photo by Aba Zipu