Simmy added to Bassline Fest alongside Sjava and DBN Gogo
Bassline Fest 20 May, 2023, Constitution Hill, Celebrating Africa Day
By CityLife Arts Writer
Bassline Fest 2023 is hotting up! Just announced is the inclusion of Simmy. In celebration of Africa Day, the final lineup is Pan-African and bedecked with South African Stars. Enjoy headliner Sjava, DBN GOGO, Simmy, Afro-futuristic act Afrotronix from Chad/Canada, Techno-Punk act Scurru Fitchada from Cape Verde/Portugal, dance hall act Fayazer from Reunion Island and the Planetoids from Germany featuring SA/ Zambian Namakau Star.
Booking.comThe fest is set to be a day of music and celebration of our humanity, resilience and over-all incredible creativity and talent that our beautiful African Continent births. The lineup of artists reflect the inclusivity, diversity and tolerance that the city of Jozi inhabits.
Says co organiser Paige Holmes of Bassline Live, ” Come and enjoy Simmy’s House-infused love songs, inspired by the maskandi & country songs her father played while she was growing up. Simmy joins her fellow Metro FM Awards 2023 nominee Sjava on the lineup.”
Increasing the International profile of the Fest will be the performance of the German band Planatoids, a four-piece indie/synth pop band from Hannover, featuring SouthAfrican/Zambian RnB, Hip-hop artist Namakau Star.
Bassline Fest’s Brad Homes says on the 20th of May “Expect a variety of music and fun festival experience for all: From Amapiano to Indie Rock, Techno Punk, House, Afro Pop and Maskandi driven R&B. Its going to be, where you and your family, want to be! A selection of top stalls for food, fashion, arts & crafts will be there in addition to bars to keep you refreshed.”
The Bassline Fest is grateful its presenting partner the Department of SportArts & Culture for coming on-board in the support of the live music industry and in celebration of Africa Month, and its associate partner Castle Lite. Also supporting the Bassline Fest will be Music In Africa and the ACCESS conference, Jagermeister and the Goethe Institute who have made the performance of the Planatoids featuring Namakau Star possible.
Explains Brad Holmes, “What this support does is aid the live music industry as a whole as it creates work for the full live music industry eco-system from production, marketing, performing, service providers and artists. It also creates a place for festival goers to escape while getting entranced by the artistic talent and to get entertained and have some fun!”
SIMMY
Simphiwe Nhlangulela, known professionally as Simmy, is a South African singer,songwriter and producer. Raised in Msinga, KwaZulu Natal, Simmy began composing songs by age 12 and was signed to EL World Music in 2017 and later released her debut album Tugela Fairy in 2018 with Sony Music Entertainment Africa. The album was critically and commercially successful, producing her first number-one singles “Umahlalela” and “Ubala”. Her debut album earned her SAMA nominations, and the title of one of Apple Music’s most boundary
breaking local stars in 2019. Simmy cites Dolly Parton, Platform One, Brenda Fassie, Soul Brothers as influences in addition to expressing her admiration to Izingane zo-Ma. Simmy incorporates R&B, neo-soul and electronic styles into her music. Simmy describes her sound as “nostalgic in a sense that it’s relevant, energizing with societal undertones “
Tugela Fairy (Made of Stars) is the second studio album by Simmy and was released in October 2020,by Sony Music Entertainment Africa. After the commercial breakthrough of her debut album Tugela Fairy (2018), Simmy wanted to play a larger creative role in her music, leading her to co- produce some of the songs featured in the album. The new album is jammed packed with (16) tracks including collaborations with Ami Faku, Sino Msolo, S-Tone, Sun-El Musician, Da Capo, Mthunzi and Khuzani. The lead single “Emakhaya” topped charts in all music platforms.