“Anjimile, the Singer, Finds and Reclaims Their Voice”
Prior to embarking on the recording journey for his latest album, “The King,” in the autumn of 2021, Anjimile Chithambo faced the task of rediscovering his singing voice. Four years into testosterone treatment, the voice he had honed through years of school choir in Texas had undergone a transformation, leaving behind his familiar upper register in favor of a deep, cavernous resonance.
The 30-year-old indie folk singer, known by the mononym Anjimile, reflects on this transformation as he lounges on a Brooklyn cafe patio during a recent visit to New York. Embracing his transgender identity was a life-affirming process but came with profound changes to his identity as an artist. He openly admits, “My confidence was very low.”
In “The King,” his second LP released on September 8 and already receiving accolades from both mainstream and indie media, Anjimile’s voice takes center stage. It serves as the pivotal element around which everything else revolves—a versatile, extraordinary instrument capable of delving into unusual depths and hauntingly high notes that seem to transcend the earthly realm. His falsetto, at times radiant and fragile, at others, raw and searing, defines the album’s ten tracks, constructing a mesmerizing auditory landscape with nothing more than his voice and an acoustic guitar—both twisted and transformed into evocative shapes.