We have opened a line: A space to listen, to archive, to honour those who journey with us.
We gather the voices of our collaborators.
Their thoughts, their stories, their frequencies.
We begin with Call+Continuum; a theme we explored through being commissioned by the Zeitz MOCAA Gala Collateral Programme, to curate sounds in celebration of the role South African women play in the creative industries. These are women who are not just making music, but holding memory.
Resisting erasure. Declaring existence.
The Call is loud, intentional, undeniable. The Continuum is subtle, generational, grounding.
We asked: What does Call + Continuum mean to you?
Through phone calls, voice notes and conversation, they answered.
There are their reflections. Their words become the archive. Their voices carry the line forward.
Zoë Modiga, born Palesa Nomthandazo Phumelele Modiga in Overport, Durban, and raised in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, is a quintessential artist who embodies the past, present, and future of South African music. Drawing from the human experience, identity, and storytelling, she crafts a distinct sound that communicates a modern, evolving African narrative without losing its essence.
A lively and transcendent performer with a background in classical and jazz training from the National School of the Arts and the South African Music College at UCT, she is renowned for enchanting audiences whilst showcasing an evocative individualism in fashion and imagery. Zoë has released her debut album, “Yellow: The Novel,” and her sophomore album, “Inganekwane,” under her label Yelloëwax.
Her numerous accolades include the Glamour Woman of the Year: Musician Game Changer Award 2023, Standard Bank Young Artist Award: Music 2023, South African Music Award for Best Engineered Album 2020, Dopest Album Cover of 2020 by African Design League, Carol Bouwer Mbokodo Award for Music 2018, Mzantsi Jazz Awards for Best Jazz Contemporary Album Newcomer in Jazz and Best Jazz Song (2018), and the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition (2015). She has also been celebrated with nominations such as Best Jazz Album and Best African Artist for the South African Music Awards (2018), Female Artist of the Year by VN Streaming (2020), and Best African Jazz Artist at the All Africa Music Awards (2021).
Celebrated internationally, she has graced the cover of Songlines UK (2020) and appeared in the Netflix series "Savage Beauty" (2022). Zoë has performed at prestigious festivals globally, including the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and MTN Bushfire Festival, and frequently tours with the music collective "Seba Kaapstad." True to her Pan-African activism, she has partnered with the African Union for the "Silencing the Guns" campaign, advocating for peace on the continent. She has collaborated with esteemed musicians such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Johnny Clegg, and Wynton Marsalis, steadily creating an immortal legacy of cultural impact through music, fashion, and storytelling.