After calling a halt to international touring at the height of her career, Simphiwe Dana is marking her 20th anniversary in the music industry with performances in Moscow, Russia.
She will perform her theatrical production Moya at the Chekhov International Theatre Festival next month, and hopes to follow it up with a wider tour.
“I know there are a number of artists who have stood the test of time, but for me to be one of them is — wow. It’s unbelievable,” she told the Sunday Times.
“I have had my ups and downs, but there’s a certain level of loyalty I have received when it comes to my work. Being out there, open and raw and honest has resonated over the course of these 20 years.”
Although she does not have confirmed dates for subsequent shows, Dana hopes her performances in Russia on July 10, 11 and 12 will kick-start an extended tour.
“I always wanted to have a project that travels the world. Russia is my first stop. I intend to take Moya all over the world.
“We’re all obviously watching what is happening in the world right now. Where will we be tomorrow? We don’t know if there will be a World War 3 or if things will simmer down. So we are just playing it by ear at this point.”
Dana said she initially stopped touring for several reasons.
“I was feeling guilty about the amount of time I was away from my kids — because it was not just a few days; it would be weeks, months. The first time I went to Europe I left my son at two months old. So that did play a role. But the overarching reason was that at that time the world economy was going through a big slump.
“I had paid my dues. I even played in stadiums. I was on the cover of a big international magazine. My album Kulture Noir was No 3 in Germany and No 1 in Europe and I had won awards.”
I live with chronic depression and I do believe that it’s part of the charm of my music, because it takes me into really dark places
— Simphiwe Dana
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, when Dana was starting to get ahead while juggling her career with being a single parent, her mother Noziphiwo died at 67 after a short illness.
“It definitely brought me to a standstill. I lost a lot of weight. I stopped eating. I wasn’t crying. I was just drinking coffee. I didn’t realise that there could be different signs of grief.”
This experience ultimately gave birth to Moya, which explores themes of grief and healing.
“I created that space with Moya because I realised the unnaturalness of the period. It’s made for people grieving, for them to feel and be vulnerable with those emotions.”
Dana has been candid throughout her career about living with depression and wants to continue to spread healing around the world.
“I make people feel better, feel understood, less isolated in the issues they deal with every day. My existence has made humanity feel better, the existence of my work.
“No-one wants to talk about their lows, but artists can sometimes live very tortured lives. I live with chronic depression and I do believe that it’s part of the charm of my music, because it takes me into really dark places — and when I say dark I don’t mean evil, dark evil; but into the depths of human pain.”
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