Ryan Swano
There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when an artist fuses technical brilliance with genuine soul, and Andréa Lisa seems to live in that space. South African-born and New Zealand-raised, she’s the kind of artist who carries her roots with quiet pride, blending them seamlessly into a sound that feels both global and intimate. Though her latest album, Silver Lining, is what’s putting her name on more playlists around the world, Andréa’s story and her sound run much deeper than any single release.
It’s been a while since I’ve been mesmerised by an artist to the point of playing her album on repeat for half the day and spending the other half streaming tracks from her back catalogue and watching some of her music videos, of which there is an unusually cool one I will show and tell you about further below.
As someone who counts myself a fan of her genre, I am still dumbfounded that I have missed out on a whole decade of the Singer and Jazz Guitarist, Andréa Lisa, having only heard her music for the first time a few weeks ago. Aside from all of the information I got from her publicity team, I was also fortunate to directly ask her a few questions.
From a Small Town to the Global Stage
Born in Kinross, a small mining town in Mpumalanga, Andréa’s early years were far removed from the bright lights and big stages she now graces. Music wasn’t an inherited family trade, but rather a passion that found her. “I’m the first musician or performer in my family,” she revealed. “Music was always playing in our home, whether by my parents or siblings. It just became part of who I am.”
On a side note, we at Bruinou.com know that this is how the love for music develops for kids in many Coloured homes, whether they are in Elsies River on the Cape Flats, in Eldorado Park in Gauteng, or in the small town of Kinross in Mpumalanga.
When she was 8 years old, Andréa relocated with her family from South Africa to New Zealand.
It surprised me when Andrea said that it was only at the age of 14 when she picked up a guitar for the first time. Unknowingly, she had begun shaping a life that would eventually lead her across continents and onto global stages. At 15, she started crafting her own music and lyrics, setting her on a path of artistic exploration.
“I was born in South Africa, and at the age of 8, my family and I moved to Auckland, New Zealand. I’ve been singing since I was a little toddler, and I’ve always had a love for singing, but I was very shy to sing in front of people. My first public performance was at age 16”, Andréa Lisa once told Voyage LA.
Evolving Her Own Sound
A graduate of the New Zealand School of Music, majoring in jazz guitar and vocals, Andréa’s artistic journey has been as layered as her music. There’s a gentle sophistication in the way she sings and plays; an effortless blend of soulful R&B, jazz, and funk that never feels forced.
Her guitar work has the melodic clarity of John Mayer and the expressive phrasing of George Benson, whom she both credits as having influenced her sound. The licks sound familiar at first, but if you know what to listen out for from those icons, you will realise that she has evolved a guitar sound all of her own. An excellent example of this is how her guitar sounds on Calvert Street.
WATCH: Andréa Lisa – CALVERT STREET Live Version
What I find exceptional about her voice is that it doesn’t immediately sound extraordinary; Andréa Lisa has a voice that feels easy on the ear and soft on the soul, singing without any strain or “vocal gymnastics”. One never has the impression that she is trying to show off her vocal range by venturing too near its limits.
Her voice doesn’t so much make you sit up and pay attention, but rather, it draws you in and makes you feel as if she is guiding you through her stories in the lyrics. Yet, while her vocal delivery carries shades of Tamia, Nancy Wilson and Emily King, the three singers whom she told me have influenced her the most, Andréa Lisa never sounds like anyone but herself.
That individuality is particularly evident in the few cover versions she’s performed. Andréa Lisa’s rendition of Sade’s The Sweetest Taboo 8 years ago stands out and is praised by Sade fans, not because she imitates Sade’s iconic sultriness, but because she interprets it with her own rhythmic ease and understated power.
Her style, both vocally and instrumentally, feels like a conversation between worlds: smooth yet deeply emotional, polished yet organic.
Working With Icons & Shining on the Global Stage
Now, since that first live performance at 16, Andréa Lisa shines on the global stage.
With her former band she had performance contracts in places like Dubai, France and on Cruise Ships. There were also freelancing gigs around Europe, New Zealand and Australia in between contracts. Today Andrea Lisa is in her 7th year of living and working in Los Angeles, where the opportunities to work with other world-class musicians are exponentially higher.
It’s no surprise, then, that her musical path has attracted an impressive circle of collaborators. Andréa has worked alongside legends like Jonathan Butler, Ralph Johnson of Earth, Wind & Fire, and George “Funky” Brown. She has performed and recorded with Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, contributing both vocals and guitar to his album Epic Cool, and even penned an original song, Love and Healing, for the project. Her earlier collaboration with Whalum on Humanité saw her song Get Your Wings Up chosen as the album’s first single; an early signal of the respect she commands among industry heavyweights.
Her talent on the guitar has also led her to work with the iconic Kool & the Gang, performing on tracks like Obsession and For the Woman in You on their 2023 album People Just Wanna Have Fun. Aside from touring or recording, Andréa also represents the prestigious D’Angelico guitar brand. That endorsement is an acknowledgement of both her artistry and technical mastery.
Silver Lining Album Gains Critical Acclaim
Despite this glittering résumé, Andréa exudes a grounded calm. There’s something almost serene about the way she speaks of her music, as if every note she plays is meant to bring a little more connection into the world.
Of her latest single ‘Like Each Other’, she says: “This song is about recognising our similarities rather than our differences. Music has an incredible way of reminding us that at our core, we’re all connected.”
It’s a sentiment that threads through everything she creates. Her songs often explore the shared emotions that bind people together: empathy, resilience, love, and hope.
Her most recent body of work, Silver Lining, carries that message beautifully. It’s a genre-blending collection of songs that trace her personal and creative evolution; sometimes groovy and electric, other times tender and introspective.
Drawing inspiration from her personal journey of resilience and growth, Andréa shares, “The album is a reflection of my experiences, a melodic diary of lessons learned and triumphs achieved.”
Among its standout tracks is Tribe, an homage to her African heritage that features legendary bassist Melvin Lee Davis. Another highlight, Vortex, climbed to the top of Sirius XM’s Watercolors chart in 2023, solidifying her place among contemporary Jazz Funk and Soul’s rising stars.
The music video for Vortex is the first I’ve seen of a Jazz guitarist showing themselves as an anime-style character, and I absolutely love it. No, she ain’t beating up bad guys or shooting plasma balls with her guitar, but it is still super cool.
WATCH Andréa Lisa – VORTEX Official Music Video
For all the acclaim, Andréa Lisa’s career isn’t simply defined by chart success as much as it is a promise of longevity in a fickle music industry, making her artistry seem more like a calling than a career. Whether she’s performing to a sold-out international audience or to a small, intimate audience, there’s a sense that she’s exactly where she’s meant to be, doing exactly what she was meant to do.
Connecting with Nature and Our Shared Humanity
As always, we ask artists what they love doing away from the stage. Andréa Lisa finds balance in simplicity. “I love being out in nature,” she says. “It’s where I reconnect.”
I can actually imagine her somewhere serene with her guitar and a notebook close at hand, while her soul converses with nature, gathering the kind of inspiration that finds its way into her songs.
For South Africans discovering her music, Andréa Lisa is both a point of pride and a reminder of how far South African talent continues to reach. Her journey from a small Mpumalanga town to international acclaim is a story that feels rooted in a heart that thrives on connecting with our global shared humanity, wherever in the world she finds herself. That is ubuntu, and hopefully, someday in the not-too-distant future, Andréa Lisa will come home to South Africa to perform live and express her sense of shared humanity with us.
As her music continues to reach more listeners across the world, one thing is certain: Andréa Lisa isn’t just representing South Africa on the global stage; she’s expanding the space for soulful, thoughtful artistry wherever she goes. Whether through the smooth grooves of Silver Lining or the intimate honesty of her live performances, Andréa Lisa invites listeners not just to hear her music, but to feel it. And that, perhaps, is the true silver lining.
Listen to Andréa Lisa on Spotify
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