Manuka is a singer songwriter from just down the road in Leeds yet at the moment she finds herself on the other side of the world, travelling in India. Currently living in Goa, she’s just caught my attention thanks to her thoughtful spoken word track Shh… Be Quiet.

By Graeme Smith

Shh… Be Quiet is very much an unconventional track. It has a looping, minimal acoustic melody that gives plenty of space to its storytelling spoken word. Manuka’s style is instantly gripping and I found myself fully absorbed in her story of introspection and anxiety created by pandemic lockdown.

The spoken word version of Shh.. Be Quiet is accompanied by a sung version which features Vishnu Vijayan on tabla. Both versions are simply stunning and you can check them out below.