about
Thandiwe Osuntoki Awoniran is a multidisciplinary artist, spiritual practitioner, educator, doula, and mother whose work lives at the intersection of music, ancestral wisdom, healing, and cultural preservation. Originally from Silver Spring, MD with African American roots grounded in North Carolina and the DMV region, her journey has long been shaped by a deep exploration of identity, ancestry, spirituality, and return.
She was first introduced to the world as one half of the acclaimed musical duo OSHUN, known for their genre-defying sound, spiritual storytelling, and celebration of African diasporic identity. Her solo artistry expanded with the release of her EP beloved — a deeply personal body of work exploring softness, devotion, transformation, and remembrance.
A graduate of New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies, Thandiwe’s work is deeply informed by her commitment to African spirituality, history, and cultural continuity across the diaspora.
She is an Iyanifa, Olorisa, Apetebi, and Iya of Ile Baba Osadi, trained within the Isese Ifá tradition under the guidance of Baba Agbongbon Awo of Osogbo Fakayode Fáníyì, Iyalode Egbefunmilayo Fáníyi, Baba Oniluawoedu Awosanmi Alaje, Osunsina Alaje, and HRM Iya Oya of Osun State Osundara Oyawale. She spends part of each year living in Osogbo in order to more deeply immerse herself in Isese tradition and continue her studies of Ifá and Orisa at the feet of her teachers. Through spiritual guidance, ritual practice, teaching, and community-centered work, she is devoted to nurturing pathways for remembrance, alignment, and healing.
In addition to her spiritual and artistic work, Thandiwe is a certified CD-DONA doula whose approach to birthwork is rooted in compassionate care, intuition, advocacy, and reverence for the transformative journey into motherhood.
Across every expression of her work — whether through music, ritual, textiles, education, spiritual consultation, or motherhood — Thandiwe creates from a place of intention, devotion, and deep connection to spirit, earth, and ancestral memory.