An exploration into ‘Isipaji sika Simphiwe Dana’ at The State Theatre

It’s been almost 20 years since Simphiwe Dana touched our souls with her debut album, Zandisile.

If you find that hard to believe, so does the Multi-award-winning singer and songwriter. She points to her vocal evolution as tangible proof of her growth over the past two decades.

Dana will be exploring the many amazing songs from her repertoire that she has not performed in her upcoming offering Isipaji sika Simphiwe Dana presented by The South Africa State Theatre on the Opera stage on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 May 2022.

Isipaji sika Simphiwe Dana will be an opportunity for Dana to explore the various textures of her work to date; an intuitive, multi-layered effort from a mature artist at the top of her creative powers. Along with the inspiring arrangement she explored in her previous offering MOYA which premiered to a sold-out season in Johannesburg on 10 April 2022.

“Being consistent with anything for 18 years is a celebration and success is a celebration, too. The creation of Isipaji sika Simphiwe Dana comes at the tail-end of a whole tumultuous era in my life, but it’s still a nice thing to point at as something to celebrate. Fulfilment is not the right word, but it’s the best word I can think of right now. I feel this really grounded sense of accomplishment,” says Dana.

THE SINGER CONTINUES TO UPHOLD THE STANDARD

Credited for creating some of the most thought-provoking songs of her generation, Dana continues to uphold the standard for singer/songwriters as a messenger for love, hope, compassionate humanitarianism and socio-political awareness.

She plans to showcase songs from all her albums in her upcoming performance, sharing their compelling narratives as she continues to expand the canvas of her spiritual and lifestyle mission that has made her one of the most in-demand performers and speakers in the social space.

“I knew I was something different for the industry, I knew I looked different, I sounded different and the songs I wanted to sing were different,” she said.

“I thought I was telling people, ‘Make way, something different is coming,’ but in hindsight, I was telling all of our stories about what it means to affirm yourself because the world will always tell you that you’re supposed to be something different.”

Simphiwe Dana invites her Pretoria audience on a journey into the many musical gifts in her bag. Tickets are available for Isipaji sika Simphiwe Dana on Webtickets