Afrosoul queen unites Africa
SIMPHIWE DANA: SYMPHONY EXPERIENCE RETURNS TO THE TSHWANE STATE THEATRE
Featuring US based Rwandan artist Somi and Daymé Arocena from Cuba.
SA’s Afrosoul queen promises to unite Africans again as the Simphiwe Dana Symphony Experience returns for the second instalment at the South African State Theatre in Tshwane today.
Powered by the department of arts and culture in partnership with Kaya FM and BET Africa, the
2019 Symphony Experience will be supported by a 60-piece allblack orchestra, a 30-piece choir, a 12-piece dance troupe and an all-female band.
It will feature two internationally acclaimed artists: the US-based Rwandan artist Somi and Daymé Arocena from Cuba.
Together, these female musicians will set fire to the hearts of music lovers.
“The true spirit and rhythm of Africa will come alive through the music we’ll present for this experience.
“These have been some of the darkest times for this country and for the continent at large. “We all need to find the light again and I hope this Symphony Experience will illuminate many hearts and breathe new life into all of us, to re-energise our continent with the love of music; the one language we all speak and understand,” said Dana.
First presented in 2016, the Symphony Experience is the realisation of a dream Dana had 12 years ago.
It was a way for her to break down the mental and social borders between African states and create an Af-rica that celebrates all her children, her art, her fashions and her music.
Dana, who is classified as a living legend, has touched the hearts of many across the globe with her soulful sounds.
Her songs also raise consciousness of the challenges faced in South Africa and the world as a whole.
Dana is more than a singer, she is an artist who remained firmly based in her cultural and African identity.
She made her debut in 2004 with the album Zandisile and from the onset stole the souls and hearts of South Africans and the world at large.
She has received numerous awards locally and internationally and her music has topped global charts.
Dana’s third album, Kulture Noir, claimed the number one spot on the German World Music Charts and number three on the European Music Charts.
To date, Dana has released four studio albums: Zandisile, The One Love Moment on Bantu Biko Street, Kulture Noir, Firebrand and one live DVD titled An Evening with Simphiwe Dana.
Dana made her acting debut by playing Themba’s mother in the film Themba: A Boy Called Hope.
Her music is so profound that it is now part of the curriculum of prestigious institutions such as the University of Oxford in England.
As an activist, Simphiwe Dana is passionate about community upliftment and socio-economic development and serves as the first global African ambassador for Amnesty International and convener of the African Union’s Africa Reimagined Creative Hub (ARCH).
ARCH is a programme dedicated to establishing how the arts, culture and heritage sectors and broad creative sector can contribute to the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and their role in shaping and re-imagining the narrative of Africa.
The Symphony Experience will see Africans from all parts of the continent and the diaspora coming together in solidarity for the African cause Dana dreamt of all those years ago.