Zindzi Okenyo | |
---|---|
Also known as | Okenyo [1] |
Born | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Genres | R&B, hip hop, soul [2] [3] |
Occupation(s) | Musician, actress |
Labels | Elefant Traks [4] |
Website | www |
Zindzi Okenyo is a television and theatre actress and musician from Sydney. [2] A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), [2] she is a presenter on Play School , and performs music professionally under the stage name Okenyo. [1] She is best known for the song "Woman's World", [5] from her debut EP album, The Wave. [6]
In 2013, Okenyo signed to the promotional label Niche Productions, [7] and in 2016 to indie record Label Elefant Traks. [4] Her debut single, "Broken Chest", was released in November 2013. [8] "Woman's World" was nominated for Best Song on FBi Radio in 2017. [9] The song was chosen for the Women's National Basketball League 2017 Campaign, [10] and was also used in a US Apple Instagram Promotion. [11] Authors at the Noisey site, operated by Vice (magazine), said of the song: "There is a self-awareness and empowerment in the lyrics and a defiant resolve in the message as she identifies misrepresentation in gender and sexual stereotypes" [12] with comparisons to artists like Erykah Badu and Janelle Monae. Okenyo and her song featured in the documentary Her Sound, Her Story" [13] about the "inequality of women in the Australian Music Industry".
"Woman's World 2.0" is a remix of "Woman's World" featuring Miss Blanks and Jesswar. [14] The song was featured in VicHealth's "This Girl Can - Victoria" television ad campaign. [15]
Okenyo has performed gigs with Santigold [16] and Billie Eilish, [17] played at Splendour In the Grass [18] and VIVID Sydney, [19] and recently played her first run of headline shows. [20]
Okenyo's television credits include Play School, the role of Amanda in the Australian television series Sisters , [21] [22] journalist Millie Hussey in the television drama series The Code , and Sophie in the series Janet King . [23]
In 2018, reflecting on her success as an actor and musician, she said, "It's really exciting because my identity and my artistry are starting to work together... I always imagined that happening because it's really important to me to explain myself and express myself in different ways." [24]
Okenyo has performed in the following theatre productions:
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