GRAMMY-NOMINATED Rwandan vocalist and songwriter Somi has announced her plans to release her new album, ‘Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba’, a celebration of the late Makeba’s musical contributions and messages of social justice. The album, which will be released by Salon Africana label on July 30, features the Jazz singer’s renditions of Makeba’s best-known songs, including her own compositions and covers. Salon Africana is a boutique label and curatorial agency that Somi founded to produce and curate experiences that strive to challenge homogenized notions of African cultural production. Recognising Makeba’s continental fame, Somi worked with a selection of artists from across Africa and diaspora to bring her vision to life. A host of renowned artists, from South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and singer-songwriter Msaki to vocalist and activist Thandiswa Mazwai and jazz pianist-composer Nduduzo Makhathini, joined the US-based singer for the tribute. Other collaborators include American jazz singer Gregory Porter, Nigerian Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti and celebrated Beninese singer and activist, Angelique Kidjo. Somi’s lifelong love of Makeba’s music and personal strength led to a record that she hopes will inspire a rediscovery of Makeba’s life and work. “This album is my attempt to honor the unapologetic voice of an African woman who inevitably made room for my own journey and countless other African artists. In short, I owe her. We all do,” said the singer, who dropped her first song on the 17-song album tracklist dubbed ‘Pata Papa’, one of Makeba’s iconic singles that went on to become a global hit in the 1960s. After the albums release, Somi will take the story of Makeba’s life to the theater stage with her original new musical ‘Dreaming Zenzile’. Written by and starring Somi and directed by Obie Award winner Lileana Blain-Cruz, the production is set to premiere later this year. ‘Dreaming Zenzile’ features a cast of five characters including Somi as Makeba the main character, a live band, original music and reinterpretations of Makeba’s popular repertoire. For her first foray into theater, Somi was named a 2019 Sundance Theater Fellow. Regarded as one of Africa’s first international superstars, Makeba (whose given name is Zenzile) elevated the spirit of the continent, including her native South Africa. Her courage, however, was met with blacklisting that began with her marriage to civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael. Born in Illinois, Somi has always used her artistry to pay homage to the complexity of life on the African continent. In 2014, she released a critically acclaimed album titled ‘The Lagos Music Salon’ inspired by an 18-month sabbatical she spent in Lagos, Nigeria. ‘Zenzile’, follows Somi’s other six albums that have scored positions on Billboard’s World Music, Jazz, and Heatseekers charts. Her records have featured guests including Common, Angelique Kidjo, and renowned South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, who became her longtime mentor. Earlier this year, Somi made history with her 2021 live album, ‘Holy Room’, by becoming the first African woman to be nominated for a Grammy in any of the award’s jazz categories. Photo: Chris Schwagga Photo: Chris Schwagga Photo: Chris Schwagga
