Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne: “Performing on stage was a very strange reality to be in”

ArtsTrain sits down with vocalist, songwriter and music leader Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne about her transition into the world of sound healing, and how this practice can have profound effects on young people.

Singer, songwriter and composer Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne has played alongside some of the modern music world’s greatest musicians and producers. From Matthew Herbert to Floating Points and Nitin Sawhney, as well as having her vocals feature on tracks from the likes of Eric Lau, Blue May and Graham Coxon; and touring with her own band Hejira.

Rahel also supports emerging artists with workshops for young people, including as a music leader at ArtsTrain, which she says “really energises me and keeps me on my toes as an artist myself. It’s so inspiring and genuinely I feel a duty to offer what I can”.  

Covid and an opportunity to reassess and slow down

As with many, Covid and the constant lockdowns led to Rahel taking a new direction with her work within the field of music. “Before Covid there was all of the touring and the songwriting,” she explains. “A lot was going on for me, so I took the opportunity during lockdown to slow down a bit and take stock of how working as a freelance artist in the music industry had taken its toll.” This reassessment saw Rahel begin to study sound healing at the renowned British Academy of Sound Therapy (BAST). Having always had her own self-care practice of meditation and yoga, as well as her experience in music, getting back to the fundamentals of music and sound, and understanding the healing properties of sound outside of the context of entertainment seemed like a natural step.

Touring alongside an illustrious musician and producer such as Floating Points with her band Hejira, was also a catalyst for Rahel to explore the healing side of music. Playing brand new material to big crowds, felt like a very vulnerable place to be in. “I just remember trying to process my own mental health. Going on stage and there’s like 2,000 people there, and you have to live up to an expectation.” she recalls.

“It was a very strange reality to be in. I remember not knowing how to manage my mental health and the anxiety that comes with going on stage and being in front of an audience.” 

Noticing the same anxieties amongst her bandmates, Rahel started to lead guided meditations and breathwork exercises before going on stage, both for Hejira and Floating Points and his band. It was a ritual that they continued for years to come. It was seeing how powerful and beneficial this was that sparked her interest in delving deeper into the healing world.

As we talk, I observe the huge sun gong hanging behind her, one of the instruments that she uses alongside crystal bowls, himalayan singing bowls as well as her own voice. Just looking at the gong, you can imagine the powerful frequency that it produces. And it’s this frequency that gives music such power and resonance within the human body. “On a really basic level we are all predominantly just water and electricity in our bodies,” explains Rahel. “Whether we know it or not, we’re going to be affected by sound. It literally goes through us as a vibration and we can use frequency to do all sorts of things. Sound can literally alter your state of being.”

Sound as a healing tool

There have been studies on the effects that sound, or indeed music, has on water. Japanese scientist Dr Masaru Emoto conducted one such experiment on water. Dr Emoto spoke kind words and phrases to the water, as well as not so kind words and phrases. The water that was spoken to unkindly, when observed under a microscope, looked ugly and the molecules were messy. However the water that was spoken to kindly appeared aesthetically pleasing. Words are frequency and vibration, and as we know, the human body is made up of 70% water. So it would make sense then that sound and vibrations affect us. 

“We can use frequency to do all sorts of things and as a performer you hold quite a powerful position…sound can literally alter your state of being, but also the way we use it, the intention behind it has a big role to play. It’s this emotive energy behind sound that is one of the things we can control. There’s lots of things we can’t control. We can manipulate sound and that’s manipulating frequency and you can do that and change your state of being and that’s why I think it’s really powerful.”

Sound healing can have profound effects on young people. In an age where we are always ‘on’ - and where young people have been born into being attached to a phone or games console, partaking in a sound healing session can provide a small moment away from a screen. Rahel agrees: “It can help young people to get more in touch with their sense of self. Essentially what you’re doing with sound healing is connecting to the body. You have a rhythm, a natural rhythm in your heart.” Living in this always on age, anxiety is more prevalent than ever. According to The Children’s Society, whilst the exact number of children suffering with anxiety is not known, around 1 in 6 children between the ages of 5-16 are likely to have a mental health problem.

A sound healing session gives young people an opportunity to come away from a device and just be themselves. It’s about connecting to the body and learning to slow down and can be as simple as singing a vowel sound, Rahel explains. Offering alternative therapies, such as sound healing, in schools is something she agrees should happen. “There’s lots of overwhelming data coming out about meditation. Speaking for myself, I can say that it really helps me to focus. It helps me to have a successful, productive day.”

Write it down

And what wellbeing tips would Rahel recommend for young people? She says that one of the main things that helped her as a young person was journalling. She suggests setting a timer for two minutes and then writing down a stream of consciousness - whatever comes into your mind. “It gets you out of your head and gets whatever concerns and thoughts you may have out on paper,” she says. “It starts to help you understand what’s going on and what you carry around with you because a lot of this is what you act on.” She also recommends a simple breathwork exercise such as breathing in for a count of four and breathing out for a count of eight.

“Even if you do it just twice, it can have a huge impact on your whole day - journal, take a few breaths, it really is powerful.”

Rahel recently led a workshop at the Harris Girls’ Academy in Bromley where students were invited to explore the theme of wellness and create songs using this theme. Head to our Instagram see what they got up to.

You can follow Rahel here.