July 10, 2025
South African jazz diva Simphiwe Dana performs at Chekhov Festival
For the first time, the Chekhov Festival has welcomed South African jazz diva Simphiwe Dana – a songwriter and performer whose popularity has long transcended the African continent. She presented her programme "Moya", in which she joined forces with another globally renowned South African artist – choreographer Gregory Vuyani Makoma.
The unique blend of jazz, Afro-soul, rap and traditional music that characterises Dana's style, combined with the expressive choreography and sensuous physicality of the Vuyani Dance Theatre performers, creates an impressive and emotionally charged spectacle.
"Moya" means "breath, air, life" – a concept that reflects the living essence within all living things. Evoking the spirits of the ancestors, "Moya" connects the inner and outer self – a kind of echo of the South African national anthem "Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika".