In this series, we’re highlighting our VERSIONS Alumni. You’ll learn about their transformative journeys with and through the VERSIONS Youth Fellowship.

Khan

Khan Khalii, a singer, songwriter, and music producer from South Africa, shares her lifelong connection to music, stating, “I’ve been singing all my life.” She describes herself as a quiet and drama-loving kid. When she discovered performing and being on stage, she realized it was a tool to express herself and connect with something greater. Khan reflects, “There’s something about music that connects me to God.”

Khan has a musical heritage that extends through generations. “I recently found out that my paternal grandfather was a jazz musician and that my maternal great-grandfather was also a musician. My siblings are also obsessed with rapping.” She attributes her own musical passion to this familial influence, saying, “I guess it’s genetic.” While none of her immediate family are pursuing music professionally, Khan is going to great lengths to make it her reality.

An Artist in Search of Development

Khan’s commitment to making her musical dreams a reality resulted in her coming across the VERSIONS Youth Fellowship. She discusses her motivation to apply for VERSIONS, expressing, “I had been searching for an artist residency for so long because none of those things exist in South Africa.” She’d been on the hunt for an opportunity to grow on both a personal and artistic level, but the lack of opportunities in her home country made it difficult. Reflecting on her discovery of VERSIONS, Khan remembers thinking, “Wow, okay, this is a big deal and exactly what I’d been looking for.”

The Intersection of Music and Social Change

Khan’s love for music has always extended beyond beautiful melodies. She sees it as a tool for social impact, stating, “I love using music as a tool for social change and to bring awareness to social issues.” In the past, she’s brought the two together in her own way. At one of her EP launches, she organized a drive in collaboration with the Faith Foundation to have the audience donate menstrual pads to school girls in Johannesburg instead of purchasing a ticket. Her activism history and VERSIONS’ mission to merge music and social change made the perfect pairing. When she found out she was accepted to VERSIONS, Khan became emotional, “Oh my God, I cried. I felt like my life was about to change.” Reflecting on the journey leading up to her application, she saw it as preparation for this opportunity. Being chosen for the program felt like the perfect fit, enhancing both her personal growth and artistic development.

“It’s so fulfilling when you get something you’ve always wanted, something that you’ve been actively working towards. And I felt like everything I had experienced prior to applying had prepared me for VERSIONS.”

Meet Your Heroes

One of Khan’s most unforgettable moments during the fellowship was meeting Sean Paul. Overwhelmed with excitement, she felt like she had truly “made it.” But beyond the thrill of meeting her musical icon, her experience with VERSIONS also highlighted the shared cultural connections between the Caribbean and Africa. She learned about the historical colonial forces that shaped and continue to shape societies all across the

globe and the implications of that. To Khan, this learning was one of the most impactful things that came from her time in VERSIONS. “My most impactful learning is seeing the effects of colonization and racism and how they affect us physically and emotionally. I learned about how it spills into all aspects of our lives and that while colonization is not necessarily as violent as it used to be, it’s systemic.”

Linking Leadership to Emotional Intelligence

The fellowship was transformative for Khan, especially with regard to her leadership skills. As an already established community leader, she was confident in her abilities, but VERSIONS brought her to the next level. “It’s made me more socially aware and more emotionally intelligent.”

By embracing the diverse perspectives of her peers and learning from numerous workshops and industry experts, Khan has become more open-minded, enabling her to make better decisions and understand the interconnectedness between people’s actions and their environments. She’s not only noticed her improved leadership skills but also fostered a deeper empathy towards others.

Khan’s Korner Music Business

In VERSIONS, each fellow is guided through designing and implementing a social impact project in their community. For Khan’s project, she launched “Khan’s Korner Music Business” to provide workshops for women and queer individuals passionate about music publishing and songwriting. She assembled a team of industry experts to deliver invaluable insights on copyrights, royalties, songwriting, and more, offering attendees the education necessary to get started.

While the workshop was a raving success, Khan faced challenges bringing it to life. She explained that women are often overlooked in the South African music industry, and this fact was emphasized as organizations continually turned down her request to use their space. Interestingly, some took her idea and implemented it themselves, cutting her out of the picture completely. Despite this, the team at VERSIONS helped her push through and implement the transformative community project.

A Perspective Shift: Social Change

Through the social impact project and the fellowship at large, Khan’s perspective on social change shifted. “I used to think that social change was something for corporations and leaders who had massive followings. And then I realized that the real change is on the ground with your friends and with your families.” Khan’s journey with VERSIONS was filled with transformative moments that she’ll carry with her forever, and she hopes others will experience them as well. “I’m really grateful to be a part of something amazing. And I’m really looking forward to seeing what the next batch of Fellows do.”