BIOGRAPHY

ZOË MODIGA 

SOUTH AFRICAN AWARD WINNING SONGSTRESS

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Zoë Modiga born and raised in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, is the quintessential artist who represents the present and future of South African music. Drawing from the human experience, identity and storytelling, she creates a distinct sound to communicate a modern, evolving African story without loosing its essence.

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As a lively, transcendent performer with a background in classical and jazz training, she is known to enchant audiences into another world while having an evocative individualism in fashion and imagery.

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Zoë is an independent artist, releasing her debut album, “Yellow: The Novel” and her sophomore album, “Inganekwane," under her label Yelloëwax. She has been awarded with the Glamour Woman of the Year: Musician Game Changer Award 2023, Standard Bank Young Artist Award: Music 2023, South African Music Award for Best Engineered Album 2020, Dopest Album Cover of 2020 by African Design League, Carol Bouwer Mbokodo Award for Music 2018, Mzantsi Jazz Awards for Best Jazz Contemporary Album Newcomer in Jazz and Best Jazz Song (2018), SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition (2015). 

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She is also celebrated with nominations such as: Best Jazz Album and Best African Artist for the South African Music Awards (2018), Female Artist of the Year by the VN Streaming (2020), Best African Jazz Artist at the All Africa Music Awards (2021).

The impact of Zoë’s messages has materialised with her being the cover girl for renowned British-based publication, Songlines UK (2020) and a proudly South African publications Sowetan Magazine: fab “30” Issue marks 30 years of democracy in South Africa (2024) BOTAKI Youth Magazine : Women’s Edition (2020). She also makes an appearance on Netflix series, "Savage Beauty" (2022).

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Zoë has performed at celebrated festivals in South Africa such as: the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, Durban Jazz Festival, Oppikoppi, Rocking the Daisies, Afropunk, Redbull Music Festival, Hugh Masekela Heritage Festival, Joburg Film Festival, Fete De La Musique, Blooming Sounds, Mzansi Fela, Basha Uhuru Festival, and many more. Internationally, she has played at the North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Africa Festival Hertme (Netherlands), MTN Bushfire Festival (Swaziland), Saudi za Busara (Tanzania), Africadelic and she frequents world tours with a music collective she collaborates with called, “Seba Kaapstad”.

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She has participated in Somi’s Salon Africana series (New York) and production, “Dreaming Zenzile” (New York/Utah) — a celebration and reimagining of Miriam Makeba’s life.

 

 

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True to her pan African activism, she has partnered with allies, university students, academics, war survivors and artists, with the support of the African Union for the Silencing the Guns campaign. This is a pledge for peace, aiming to address the issues of war and civil unrest in Africa. 

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Zoë has collaborated with some of the worlds finest musicians including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Johnny Clegg, Abigail Kubeka, Thandiswa Mazwai, Simphiwe Dana, Madala Kunene, Louis Maholo, Tshepo Tshola, Wynton Marsali, TROMPIES and many more.

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An authentic, compelling artist challenging the status quo, Zoë Modiga is steadily creating an immortal legacy of cultural impact through music, fashion and storytelling.