Ground Control Touring

Many musicians like to speak of versatility, but Nabihah Iqbal has better grounds than most. She boasts an MPhil (focused on African history) from Cambridge, experience working in human rights law and a black belt in Karate. Formerly known as Throwing Shade, she’s ditched that moniker to embrace the name she was born with. Readying her debut album for Ninja Tune, “Weighing of the Heart” is a big statement in two ways: first, because she’s taken her real name to stand proudly as a female British Asian artists making music and, secondly, because she’s moved her music in a bolder, more expansive direction.

Beginning her studies at London’s SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) at 18, it was seeing a performance on the Kora, a West African harp, which would serve as a pivotal moment. “It had such an impact on me. I had to find out more about…