Simphiwe Dana’s Moya returns to Joburg Theatre.
Simphiwe Dana, an award-winning musician, has shown through her idea Moya that she is a creative force to be reckoned with.
After losing her mother in 2021, she began working on her idea Moya last year, driven by a strong desire to find acceptance, consolation, and solace. Dana is a well-traveled musician who has thoroughly explored her sound, including playing with orchestras. She was born in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape. She claims that the performance has made her reevaluate her relationship with the meaning and purpose of the creator in her life.
She says that the message of Moya is one of spirituality and mending one’s relationship with God. The Vuyani Dancers will execute the music concept, which is a fusion of music and movement. Jazz singer Titi Luzipho and acclaimed dancer and choreographer Gregory Maqoma are both her collaborators in the production.
She successfully performed her first play at the South African State Theatre in Pretoria after staging it at the Braamfontein Joburg Theatre the previous year. From March 3 to March 5, the show will be back at the Johannesburg Theatre for another short run. According to Dana, the endeavor is dissecting the music and returning to the past.
Please share with us the inspiration behind the concept Moya?
Moya came out of a great need to find acceptance, comfort and solace after suffering the loss of my mother. Grief is a painfully lonely process that really can’t be shared with others. It requires that you dig deep into yourself and the guides that have shaped who you are to find that which is beyond the physical.
Moya is also a fulfilment of my mother’s wish that I acknowledge the spiritual past of my life, which to her was in the form of religion. Moya thus becomes a healing circle where we are allowed to feel and process our emotions in a safe space where we don’t feel alone.
Since it’s an annual event, are you introducing any changes this year?
Definitely there will be changes here and there, but the main theme will remain the same. The aim of the project is for it to become a household name and storyline.
Do you see yourself introducing other artistic elements as part of your exploration?
In the pursuit of artistic expression anything is possible.
