Post Show: Simphiwe Dana at Queen Elizabeth Hall

Southbank Centre Staff Review

In the 3 years since Simphiwe Dana’s London debut there has been an evolution in both her sound and that of her group. On stage tonight at Queen Elizabeth Hall Dana herself hints at the journey she has taken to arrive at the rich, lush and diverse soundscape she is now firmly the pioneer of. Her confident presence and mood suggests she has fought an artistic battle over the last 3 years and emerged victorious having secured the luxury of touring with a hand picked group of musicians fully capable of carrying out Dana’s vision.

The sound Dana pilots is jazz, South African, new, and old, but it is at the same time neither of these but a steadily mutating unique expression of a brilliantly gifted young South African. The subtleties of the compositions and vocal arrangements on the two CD releases Zandisile (2004) and The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street (2006) here are treated to not so subtle builds in intensity. Hairs stand on the backs of necks as crys and roars emerge fully formed from inside warm vocal harmonies. Much of the fundamental format relies on the tenets of jazz with each musician given solo spots throughout, pianist Afrika Mkhize and bassist Herbie Tsoaeli providing some sublime moments of improvisation, but Simphiwe Dana’s greatest coup is to never truly embody any distinct genre. As she leaves the stage to a standing audience it’s clear that there are many blank pages of the story of urban South African music yet to be filled as her extraordinary talent continues to develop. Being hailed as the new Miriam Makeba now seems less like a marketing ploy and more a reality.
– Paul O’Sullivan

Paul O’Sullivan works in the Membership team at Southbank Centre.

Live Photographs

Photographer: Philip Ryalls