MUSIC: Umlilo Unleashes Femme Power in Africa’s First Queer VR Music Video.
Gender- and genre-bending multi-disciplinary artist Umlilo aka Kwaai Diva has released the video for her latest single, “Bhuti”.
Dubbed as Africa’s first Queer virtual reality music video, “Bhuti” is a celebration of the divine feminine and femme power.
“We are in a crisis in South Africa and the world where femme bodies have been heavily policed, violated, erased, and sexualised. This music video is a celebration of femme power and freedom for all femmes, trans and non-binary people. As a trans woman, I feel that my freedom is your freedom, no matter how you identify because we all want autonomy over our bodies and the choice of how we express our gender,” says Umlilo.
The avant-garde artist created this immersive experience, which sees her digital avatar, Umlilo X, roaming a post-apocalyptic landscape in which she can express herself freely.
“She is free to roam around, dance, and express herself but there is always an insidious presence lurking in the water. There’s a voyeuristic quality to the video where the viewer is watching this freedom unfold from different angles. I wanted to address the male gaze and turn it on its head,” adds Umlilo.
