Simphiwe Dana Tour Dates 09

South Africa's number one Jazz diva, Simphiwe Dana, will be kicking off her first UK tour later this month.

One of the most sought after performers to emerge from South Africa in recent times, Simphiwe Dana will be accompanied by an 11 piece ensemble to bring her internationally acclaimed Modern African Soul Music to six venues across the UK this month. From 23 October - 2 November, the seven-time South Africa Music Award (SAMA) winner will visit venues including The Drum in Birmingham, and Southbank Centre, London.

23 Oct - Leicester, Peepul Centre (0116 261 6000)
24 Oct - Liverpool, The Picket Club (0151 708 6789)
25 Oct - Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire Music Centre (01225 860 100)
30 Oct - Oxford, Oxford Contemporary Music at O2 (01865 305 305)
31 Oct - Birmingham, The Drum (0121 333 2444)
02 Nov - London, Southbank Centre (0871 663 2500)

Simphiwe Dana, described as 'the best thing to happen to Afro-Soul music since Miriam Makeba', was brought up on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Following the end of the Apartheid era and a move to Johannesburg, it was her appearances at open-mic sessions that immediately caught the attention of established musicians and producers.

Zandisile, Simphiwe Dana's debut album, received platinum status and a Number One position on the Billboard Music Charts. This was followed up in 2006 with her album The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street which secured four South Africa Music Awards including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year.

Notable performances include Nelson Mandela's 83rd birthday, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz. Simphiwe represented South Africa as a cultural ambassador in an extensive tour of China ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games and was nominated in BBC Radio 3's 2008 Awards for Best Artist in the category 'World Music - Africa'.

Simphiwe's first UK tour is supported by Black Routes, the touring network for African and Caribbean music, and produced by Punch Records.