Anjimile Chithambo, better known under the mononym Anjimile (/əˈn ˈd͡ʒɪm ːə liː/ ann-JIM-uh-lee),[1][2] is an American
folk musician from
Boston, Massachusetts.
Early life
Anjimile was born in 1993 and raised in
Dallas before eventually moving to
Boston. Growing up, they[a] started playing guitar at 11, and sang in choirs starting in the fifth grade and continuing until college. Their early musical influence came through listening to their dad's
Oliver Mtukudzi albums in the car, and early
Sufjan Stevens. Later influences were getting sober and connecting with their Black Malawian roots. Anjimile identified as a lesbian for 10 years, before coming out as trans. They self-describe as "queer/trans/boy king" and use both they/them and he/him pronouns.[3][4]
Career
2016–2020
Anjimile began writing songs when they were a music industry student at
Northeastern University, and wrote most of their most recent album Giver Taker while in rehab in Florida in 2016, where they got sober. In 2018, they entered
NPR Music’sTiny Desk Concert contest, and a panel from Boston affiliate
WBUR named them the best entrant from Massachusetts. The following year, a Live Arts Boston grant from a pair of local non-profit foundations gave them the budget to make Giver Taker.[3][5] Prior to releasing the full-length album, Anjimile had self-produced and released numerous albums of their own.[6]
Anjimile released Giver Taker in the first year of the
COVID-19 pandemic. International booking agencies had taken an interest in booking them but they could not tour due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Anjimile held a virtual release show for their album.[7] NPR named the album one of the best 50 albums of 2020.[8] Anjimile released their first full-length album in 2020 titled Giver Taker on
Father/Daughter Records.[9] According to
Rolling Stone Magazine, Anjimile is an "artist you need to know"[10] and their song "Baby No More" was a "Song You Need To Know" by the magazine.[11] Anjimile was also
Consequence of Sound's Artist of the Month".[12]
2021–present
In 2021, they signed to
4AD,[13] and released their EP, Reunion, which included reimagined, orchestral versions of songs from their 2020 album, Giver Taker, with guest artists
Jay Som,
SASAMI, and
Lomelda.[14][15] In 2022, they toured with
Hurray for the Riff Raff.[16] In 2023, they were featured on
McKinley Dixon's album, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?,[17] and signed an open letter to
SXSW from the Union Of Musicians And Allied Workers demanding higher pay.[18][19]
In May 2023, Anjimile released the track “The King,”[20] which
Pitchfork wrote, "transforms acoustic guitar and his own voice into a whiplashing storm".[21] The release of the track also served as an announcement of Anjimile's album The King, which was released on September 8, 2023, and features contributions from Justine Bowe,
Brad Allen Williams,
Sam Gendel, and
James Krivchenia.[22]