Zoë Modiga

South Africa's storytelling tradition infuses singer Zoë Modiga’s modern craft. Born Palesa Nomthandazo Phumelele Modiga in 1993 in KwaZulu-Natal, Modiga received jazz and classical training at Johannesburg's National School of the Arts. She came to national attention while appearing on The Voice South Africa in 2016. She released her debut album, Yellow: The Novel, the following year, offering a serenely beautiful, mostly English account of four seasons in the emotional life of a modern young African woman over an easygoing blend of jazz, soul and gospel. In 2020, however, Modiga took a much deeper dive into her Zulu roots on Inganekwane, released on her own Yelloëwax label. Singing entirely in Zulu (other than on the lone English track "Black Butterfly"), Modiga takes the Black diaspora in all its glorious diversity as her theme. Produced by forward-thinking producer/bassist Banda Banda, Inganekwane is rooted in Afro-realism while shooting for the stars.