Vocalist Thulile Zama will celebrate her birthday through a live performance at The Jazzy Rainbow in Morningside, Durban on Saturday 27 July.  Zama holds a BA in Music and recently completed her honours degree in Culture, Communication and Media at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).  She works at the UKZN Centre for Jazz and Popular Music as the concert co-ordinator.

Thulile is the lead vocalist of the all-female contemporary jazz band Heels Over Head that won the Yamaha Young Artist in 2010 which was also the same year they released their debut album entitled “Could It Be?”  The album was nominated for South African Music Award (SAMA) in the best contemporary jazz category. Heels Over Head released an EP entitled  “Sondela” in 2013.

A versatile vocalist who always brings a wide range of repertoire in how best to describe Zama. She has done a series of Tributes to Mama Africa Miriam Makeka since 2017.  Her talent has taken her to Harmburg and Berlin in Germany, and New Orleans in the USA.  More so, she is also a voice over artist and has been an MC for various functions in Durban and Johannesburg.  Thulile has loads of passion for music and the performing arts.

Thulile Zama. Picture by Photo Booth

Through this concert Thulile will be celebrating her 36 th birthday which is taking place tomorrow as she was born on 20 July 1983.  The concert will showcase amazingly talented Durban Photographers Fotobooth’s Project Backdrop.  The project is a call for Durban fashion designers to be part of collaboration between Durban creatives.  Fotobooth has donated its backdrop fabrics to fashion designers who will customize an outfit.

Zandile Meyiwa is the fashion designer that was paired with Thulile.  She is the owner of Mimosa Fashion House, which caters to the dynamic plus size woman who does not want to compromise on style based on her dress size. Other musicians that were previously photographed by Fotobooth who are part of the Backdrop project and will get to customize outfits from talented designers are Madala Kunene, Holly Wasserfall, Nkanyezee Zion Mndini, Annalyzer Muziq Ntsane, Sun Xa Experiment, Zoe Molelekwa and Lerato Lichaba.

Joining Thulile for this music and birthday celebration will be Freeman Gumede on bass, David Smith on keyboards and Stanley Matlou on drums. Cover charge is R100 and students will a valid student card pay R70.  The Jazzy Rainbow will open it doors at 7pm and the music starts at 8:30 pm.