Zoë Modiga - South Africa

South-Africa

Zoë Modiga is an artist who represents the present and future of South African music drawing from the roots of African storytelling, Jazz composition and Motown soul but creating a sound entirely her own in order to communicate an evolving African sound without loosing its essence.

Her love for music at a very young age encouraged her to attend the National School of the Arts in Braamfontein, Johannesburg where she studied classical piano, clarinet and vocals. She later studied Jazz performance at the College of Music, UCT.

Besides having a great voice with a wide vocal range, Zoë is a real performer, as you can see in her clip Lengoma and during her impressive performance in a Johannesburg library, with the same band that will join her in Hertme.

Tip: read the elaborate interview met Zoë in Songlines, where she talks about, amongst other things, her motivation and musical background.

Zoë has collaborated with some of South Africa’s finest musicians including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jonny Clegg and Simphiwe Dana. She has performed at celebrated festivals such as the The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, MTN Bushfire Festival and the Hugh Masekela Heritage Festival. This summer she will come to The Netherlands and her first performance appears to be in Hertme, as far as we know!

On top of all these achievements, Zoë was nominated and awarded several times for her music (nominations for Best Jazz Album and Best African Artist, awarded with the Mbokodo Award for music and the Jazz Category of the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition).

Line-up:

Zoë Modiga, vocals, guitar

Sthe Bengu, trumpet

Curt Petrus, piano

Urban Nobela, guitar

Bandabanda, bass

Ire Bolaji, drums