Meet Manizha, the Tajik singer making waves on Instagram

A video posted by MANIZHA⠀ (@manizha) on Dec 9, 2016 at 1:02am PST

Dushanbe-born singer-songwriter Manizha is known not only for her bringing together of blue-eyed soul and traditional sounds, but also for her innovative use of Instagram — Manizha claims to have created the world’s first Instagram music album.

Starting in early December, Manizha has released one song per week from her album Manuscript, accompanied by a DIY-style video. Her simple but effective homemade clips have brought the rising star fans from all over the world.

Look familiar? Fans in the Russian-speaking world may have a sense of déjà vu — back in 2009 Manizha gained fame across the post-Soviet space for her song Neglect, then performing under the name Ru.Kola. Since reinventing herself, Manizha has collaborated with a number of musicians and producers in Moscow, where she has long been based, and even opened for Lana Del Rey in St Petersburg.

You can check out more of Manizha’s videos here.