Blog > Events and Festivals > Past Events > Simphiwe Dana's First UK Tour, Autumn 2009

Simphiwe Dana's First UK Tour, Autumn 2009

One of the most sought after performers and seven time South Africa Music Award (SAMA) winner, Simphiwe Dana, came to the UK for the first time accompanied by an 9 piece live ensemble and DJ Eric Soul performing with support acts; Eric Lau and Olivier DaySoul, showcasing her internationally acclaimed Modern African Soul Music to six different venues across the UK:

• Leicester, Peepul Centre
• Liverpool, The Picket Club
• Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
• Oxford, Oxford Contemporary Music at O2
• Birmingham, The Drum
• London, Southbank Centre

Hailed as ‘the best thing to happen to Afro-Soul music since Miriam Makeba’ and entitled as ‘South Africa’s number one Jazz Diva’, she has received platinum status with her debut album Zandisile and a number one position on the Billboard Music Charts. Following this came her album The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street in 2006, which secured four South African Music Awards including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year.

Simphiwe’s first UK tour was produced by Punch Records and supported by Black Routes, the touring network for African and Caribbean music. For more information about Black Routes visit the Black Routes website here.

Check out the tour pics taken by Eric Soul below:

Simphiwe also got reviewed for her performance at The Southbank Centre, click here to read it and see some more photographs from the night.

Watch Wahala’s video of Simphiwe Dana’s UK tour as she visits Leicester and London.