On her first-ever all English album, Karen Zoid has delivered what is unquestionably the recording of her career.
That a current release outstrips all others is a claim frequently made by artists the world over but one listen to Karen Zoid's latest offering,‘Postmodern World’ ,supports the assertion that this is a landmark album for one of the South Africa's most adored performers: the recording is a world-class showcase for Zoid’s breadth of gifts, providing a platform for her beautifully resonant voice and virtually peerless songwriting.
Karen has released 4 albums to date which have allowed her to impact the South African music scene with real force – occupying a terrain that holds few competitors. The fact is that since she first cleaved onto the music scene in 2001 as a solo artist, following several years of busking and even a stint in an all-girl punk band, Zoid has managed that tricky feat of earning critical acclaim for her work while becoming a crowd-puller with a strong (mainly Afrikaans) fanbase.
Pressed as to the creative spark for her latest work, Zoid says that ‘Postmodern World’ was inspired by an exhibition held by an artist friend of hers, Jacques Coetzer. “It was titled ‘Alt Pop’ and all the works were a direct commentary on the post-modern era that we live in now – it really got me thinking about the fact that we live in a world where everything is possible but nothing is certain and there is just too much choice.” That theme drives the album’s title song, a quite terrific tune that provides a thought-provoking insight into the craziness of “this broken planet”.
As the song reveals, lyrically ‘Postmodern World’ sees Zoid follow a narrative thread through all the songs. “The songs all tell a story, that then fit together with my feeling about the post-modern world as well as what I have been going through on a personal level in the past two years since I released an album.”
Zoid has always been known for her commentary on the roles men and women play in society – and first single, ‘Aeroplane Jane’ continues this thread. “The song is about a woman who is boarding a plane to go on a business trip – something that you seldom saw say 20 years ago but that is commonplace now. This businesswoman is going crazy with boredom on the plane and she notices every little thing that is taking place around her.” Musically, the first single is upbeat and full of zest. “This is my first album in two years and I wanted to come back with a really fun song,” Zoid says.
Over a career that has last six years now, Zoid has earned various accolades (including gold album sales and the much esteemed South African Music Awards female singer of the year 2008) but she says that what continues to drive her is a deep-seated desire to create music that she can get up on stage and play live. “When I was in that all-girl punk band, or busking or when I am playing to a huge crowd , the feeling I get from delivering my music is still the same – and that’s why I do this. All the stuff that goes around making an album – the promo, the interviews, making videos, the artwork … that’s work. Playing live? That’s what I love.”
Following is a list of career highlights:
2002
Release of first album Poles Apart
Four nominations for the South African Broadcasting Services TV2 Geraas awards
Winner two SABC TV2 Geraas awards - Best Newcomer, Best Rock Album
SA Rock Digest and SAFM radio - Poles Apart no 1 album of the year
SA Rock Digest and SAFM radio - Set of Wheels song no 1 of the year.
SAMA (SA Music Association) nomination Rock Album of the year.
Nomination Shoprite-Checkers National Woman of the Year.
Winner Kanna Award for best Light Music Production at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival.
2003
Named by Independent Newspaper Group as one of the top 100 people of South Africa in 2003
Named by Sunday Times newspaper as one of the top six Rising Stars of South Africa in 2003
Named by Rapport newspaper as one of South Africa's Top Ten famous people in 2003
Release of second album Chasing the Sun
Nominated for five SABC TV2 Geraas awards
Winner three SABC TV2 Geraas awards - Best Songwriter, Best Rock Album, Best Album
Played at Ukkasie in London
Played at the government's official Heritage Day concert at the Union Buildings in September
2004
Performed at the Inauguration Concert for President Mbeki, Union Buildings, 27 April
SAMA (SA Music Association) nominations Best Rock Album of the year and Best Female Composer
2005
Played at President Mandela's 46664 charity concert with Queen, Annie Lennox and others
Played at official Youth Day concert in Johannesburg (16 June), National Womens Day Concert at Union Buildings (9 August) as guest of Minister of Foreign Affairs
Gold records awards for first two albums
Release of third album Media
2006
First single released from "Media", "Small Room" reaches number one on Highveld stereo and receives high rotation play listing from all mayor radio stations including 5fm,Kfm,Jacaranda,Algoa and Ofm.
Performed at K.A.N.A.S.I.E festival in Canada.
Karen Zoid's Album nominated for 4 SAMA' s (South Africa's Grammy equivalents), Most Popular Artist, Best Rock Artist, Best Adult contemporary Afrikaans,Best Engineer.
Performed along side Simple Plan, Metallica and Collective Soul.
Performed at the International "Desert Rhythm Festival" in Dubai in October headlining just before John Mayer from the United States.
Participated in the "Positive Rocks" fundraising concert at the Superbowl in Sun City along with Kabelo, Danny K and UK artist Seal to help the Tapologo Hospice for children with AIDS.
2007
Karen Zoid and Don Reinecke become proud parents of Ben Reinecke on 29 January.(Bassist Rixi Roman and wife Angela welcome baby Angelo on 20 Feb)
Karen signs with new label Just Music.
Performance with Hothouse Flowers, Jimmy Dludlu, Arno Carstens and others at Spier in Stellenbosch as part of Old Mutual's "Encounters" project.
Co-hosted the South African Music Awards,SAMA gala evening with South African gospel icon Kina Shirindi at Sun City.
Released Album "Post Modern World"
First single from album “Aeroplane Jane” receives high rotation on all major South African radio stations and 5fm top 10.
2008
Recorded live DVD,"Alive in he Postmodern World" to be released in May.
Performed two concerts at the Union Chapel,Islington,London.
Nominated for 2 SAMA’s (South Africa’s Grammy equivalents), Best Female Artist and Best Contemporary Album.
Winner SAMA Best Female Artist 2008
May - Live DVD released Post Modern World.
June - Karen Zoid forms record label,ZEP
I Am South African –Human Rights Day Special – Live on SABC 2
Launch of Wild African Liqueur Cream CPT – May 2008
The Shoprite Woman of The Year Awards – August
Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Celebration – August |
