Elmiene
Oxford soul singer with an old-school timbre — the kind of voice that quiets a field, drawing straight from the D'Angelo lineage.
Elmiene, born Abdala Elamin in 2001, was born in Frankfurt to Sudanese parents who had moved there in the late 1990s. The family relocated to Oxford when he was about five years old.
He began drawing notice in 2021 after an Instagram clip of him singing D'Angelo's "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" went viral, and further vocal clips followed. The song "Mad at Fire" later helped establish him with listeners and industry figures beyond the UK.
His recordings are sparse by contemporary R&B standards, built around guitar, keys and a warm, unhurried voice that owes an audible debt to 1970s soul and the neo-soul singers who followed. He sings about faith, family and love in unadorned language, and performs without much production or spectacle around him.
He placed fifth in the BBC Sound of 2024 poll and was nominated for the Brit Award for Rising Star in 2025. In 2025 he released the single "Useless (Without You)" and the mixtape Heat the Streets.
Elmiene is a Muslim and graduated from Bournemouth University in 2022 with a degree in Creative Writing, specialising in poetry.
Elmiene at a glance
Where is Elmiene from?
Elmiene is from Oxford, UK.
What kind of music does Elmiene play?
Elmiene is tagged soul and r&b.
What festivals has Elmiene played before?
Elmiene has played All Points East 2026.
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