Music she's into: Dorothy Masuka, Miriam Makeba and the Skylarks, Salif Keita, Busi Mhlongo, Nina Simone, Khadja Nin, Oumou Sangare, Jonas Gwangwa, Sello Galane, Madosini, Richard Bona, Ali Farka Toure, Fateh Ali Khan, Chiwoniso, Asa, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Shirley Bassey, Susana Baca, Mariza, Astrud Gilberto, Bobby Mcferrin.
Simphiwe Dana
Revolutionary Melodies
It was Women’s Day, and the young and old gathered to celebrate at the Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg. Simphiwe Dana was one of the artists on the line up and I waited in anticipation, excited to see her perform live, because from what I’ve heard this girl can really do her thing. After what seemed like a very long time the MC announced that she was coming up next. The crowd waited anxiously as the three background vocalists were settling in their positions. The background music began playing and as Dana entered the stage the crowd erupted with excitement.
Dressed in a long oriental design skirt and a tight fitting vest with the words ‘I’m an African showing off her pregnant belly’ printed on it, Simphiwe looked stunning, and, unlike many good looking female singers, she fortunately has the voice to go with it.
Born and Raised in the Eastern Cape, her name means ‘gift’ and many of her fans would agree that she is just that, a gift to the SA music scene. In a short period of time this Soul Sistah has become one of South Africa’s favourite daughters. Her music has a fresh sound and her unique voice complements it perfectly. Her debut album Zandisile took a lot of music lovers by surprise. It is modern South African music with a timeless revolutionary message.
Simphiwe Dana says that her music is mostly influenced by what is going on in people’s daily lives. She talks about the struggle that black people are going through, despite South Africa’s supposed freedom, and status as a democracy. Tracks like Thwelubunzima and Vukani call for people of colour to wake up and see the light, but then she also has tracks like Zandisile which is a song of hope, and Ndiredi, the hit single for which she won a couple of South African Music Awards.
'I am a very cultured person’, she says, ‘as an African person we were made to feel inferior and a lot of African people stopped practicing their culture because it was seen as witchcraft or uncivilized. My music is inspired by African people and the love they have for song. I grew up in a rural area and every time there was some kind of gathering, such as a wedding or circumcision, we sang to celebrate the event. Music has always been my first love, but because of financial problems I was forced to study IT after matric in order to survive and I have worked in the IT industry until reality caught up with me and I couldn’t ignore my calling to become a musician anymore. I started off performing at poetry sessions in Yeoville and Newtown and one day after a performance a talent scout from Gallo records approached me and asked me to give her a demo tape, which I did, and weeks later they asked me to sign up with them. The rest, as they say, is history’.
Simphiwe has two lovely children.
'I want my children to grow up the way I did, knowing where they come from and so I speak to Zazi in our language, Xhosa. This is for the same reason I sing in Xhosa. It is very important to preserve our languages and pass them on to our children’.
Some of Simphiwe’s favorite artists are Dorothy Masuka, Miriam Makeba and Bob Marley just to name a few. ‘I like the fact that I have a unique sound and I don’t purposefully follow trends. I would advise other people who want to become a musician to be creative about what they do rather than trying to imitate others. If you have the love for something and you are passionate about it, then you will stop at nothing to do it. And no matter what you do in life always remember where your roots lie’.
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