It’s hard to believe that Karen Zoid has released just four studio albums.
That’s because since she first appeared on the South African music scene with her debut ‘Poles Apart’ in 2001, Zoid has become such an important part of the homegrown scene that her name is now the byword for emotionally charged, downright incendiary South African rock music.
What’s more, through the last decade, Zoid has managed that unusual and frequently tricky feat of balancing popular appeal with critical praise; of securing an audience of both Afrikaans and English speakers; of retaining her individuality in a market known for its desire for sameness.
And through it all, Zoid has held onto an enviable integrity that allows her to speak her mind in a way that only earns her more devotees and proved no barrier to being named Best Female Artist at the 2008 South African Music Awards.
Alongside her ability to craft and record material that delivers on all rock’s possibilities, her recent work also shows how well Zoid’s songs stand up against the changing tides of the broader music scene.
Those she’s close to know that Zoid has always had a playful streak, that comes out mostly on stage but at times rears its side-splitting head on her recorded work.
Zoid’s ability to turn social commentary into sing-a-long magic has always been one of her strongest points – and it’s what has helped hugely in making her a live performer who is the equal of anyone on the current global stage.
But the counterpoint of Zoid’s super-charged rock energy is an ability to write gorgeous, delicately rendered songs that speak of the emotional vortex that drives this exceptional artist to keep creating.
Forget all allusions to her being a great female rocker: ‘Ultimate Zoid’,her latest offering, proves that Karen Zoid is South Africa’s premier rock artist, full stop.
Born in Brussels as the daughter of a South African diplomat, Karen grew up in Belgium and Johannesburg where she became a teenage busker, honing her song writing, guitar playing and singing skills on the streets of Melville.
In June 2001 EMI released Zoid's first solo album, Poles Apart, which fired the imagination of both critics and the public to such an extent that Karen Zoid became an icon of the South African youth, which the press renamed the Zoid Generation. In 2004 both Time Magazine and US News & World Report highlighted her role as an icon. In June 2003 EMI released her second critically acclaimed album, Chasing the Sun. Both Poles Apart and Chasing the Sun have been accorded Gold Record status. In July 2005 her third album, Media, was released by EMI.
Her work as a singer-songwriter has been included on many albums of other artists as well as compilations and she receives daily fan mail from all over the world. Because of this also Karen has on average 2 tours per year to either England, Dubai, Canada or the United States to perform for her fans overseas.
She has written songs for several artists in South Africa, recorded by them as well as the theme for a TV series.
That her most recent releases (Postmoder World & Ultimate Zoid) outstrips all others is a claim frequently made by artists the world over but one listen to Karen Zoid's latest offering,‘Postmodern World’ ,supports the assertion that these are landmark albums for one of the South Africa's most adored performers: the recording is a world-class showcase for Zoid’s breadth of gifts, providing a platform for her beautifully resonant voice and virtually peerless songwriting.
Pressed as to the creative spark for her latest work, Zoid says that ‘Postmodern World’ was inspired by an exhibition held by an artist friend of hers, Jacques Coetzer. “It was titled ‘Alt Pop’ and all the works were a direct commentary on the post-modern era that we live in now – it really got me thinking about the fact that we live in a world where everything is possible but nothing is certain and there is just too much choice.” That theme drives the album’s title song, a quite terrific tune that provides a thought-provoking insight into the craziness of “this broken planet”.
As the song reveals, lyrically ‘Postmodern World’ sees Zoid follow a narrative thread through all the songs. “The songs all tell a story, that then fit together with my feeling about the post-modern world as well as what I have been going through on a personal level in the past two years since I released an album.”
Zoid has always been known for her commentary on the roles men and women play in society – and first single, ‘Aeroplane Jane’ continues this thread. “The song is about a woman who is boarding a plane to go on a business trip – something that you seldom saw say 20 years ago but that is commonplace now. This businesswoman is going crazy with boredom on the plane and she notices every little thing that is taking place around her.” Musically, the first single is upbeat and full of zest. “This is my first album in two years and I wanted to come back with a really fun song,” Zoid says.
Over a career that has last nine years now, Zoid has earned various accolades (including gold album sales and the much esteemed South African Music Awards female singer of the year 2008) but she says that what continues to drive her is a deep-seated desire to create music that she can get up on stage and play live. “When I was in that all-girl punk band, or busking or when I am playing to a huge crowd , the feeling I get from delivering my music is still the same – and that’s why I do this. All the stuff that goes around making an album – the promo, the interviews, making videos, the artwork … that’s work. Playing live? That’s what I love.”
Following is a list of career highlights:
2002
Release of first album Poles Apart
Four nominations for the South African Broadcasting Services TV2 Geraas awards
Winner two SABC TV2 Geraas awards - Best Newcomer, Best Rock Album
SA Rock Digest and SAFM radio - Poles Apart no 1 album of the year
SA Rock Digest and SAFM radio - Set of Wheels song no 1 of the year.
SAMA (SA Music Association) nomination Rock Album of the year.
Nomination Shoprite-Checkers National Woman of the Year.
Winner Kanna Award for best Light Music Production at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival.
2003
Named by Independent Newspaper Group as one of the top 100 people of South Africa in 2003
Named by Sunday Times newspaper as one of the top six Rising Stars of South Africa in 2003
Named by Rapport newspaper as one of South Africa's Top Ten famous people in 2003
Release of second album Chasing the Sun
Nominated for five SABC TV2 Geraas awards
Winner three SABC TV2 Geraas awards - Best Songwriter, Best Rock Album, Best Album
Played at Ukkasie in London
Played at the government's official Heritage Day concert at the Union Buildings in September
2004
Performed at the Inauguration Concert for President Mbeki, Union Buildings, 27 April
SAMA (SA Music Association) nominations Best Rock Album of the year and Best Female Composer
2005
Played at President Mandela's 46664 charity concert with Queen, Annie Lennox and others
Played at official Youth Day concert in Johannesburg (16 June), National Womens Day Concert at Union Buildings (9 August) as guest of Minister of Foreign Affairs
Gold records awards for first two albums
Release of third album Media
2006
First single released from "Media", "Small Room" reaches number one on Highveld stereo and receives high rotation play listing from all mayor radio stations including 5fm,Kfm,Jacaranda,Algoa and Ofm.
Performed at K.A.N.A.S.I.E festival in Canada.
Karen Zoid's Album nominated for 4 SAMA' s (South Africa's Grammy equivalents), Most Popular Artist, Best Rock Artist, Best Adult contemporary Afrikaans,Best Engineer.
Performed along side Simple Plan, Metallica and Collective Soul.
Performed at the International "Desert Rhythm Festival" in Dubai in October headlining just before John Mayer from the United States.
Participated in the "Positive Rocks" fundraising concert at the Superbowl in Sun City along with Kabelo, Danny K and UK artist Seal to help the Tapologo Hospice for children with AIDS.
2007
Karen Zoid and Don Reinecke become proud parents of Ben Reinecke on 29 January.(Bassist Rixi Roman and wife Angela welcome baby Angelo on 20 Feb)
Karen signs with new label Just Music.
Performance with Hothouse Flowers, Jimmy Dludlu, Arno Carstens and others at Spier in Stellenbosch as part of Old Mutual's "Encounters" project.
Co-hosted the South African Music Awards,SAMA gala evening with South African gospel icon Kina Shirindi at Sun City.
Released Album "Post Modern World"
First single from album “Aeroplane Jane” receives high rotation on all major South African radio stations and 5fm top 10.
2008
Recorded live DVD,"Alive in he Postmodern World" to be released in May. Performed two concerts at the Union Chapel,Islington,London.
Nominated for 2 SAMA’s (South Africa’s Grammy equivalents), Best Female Artist and Best Contemporary Album.
Winner SAMA Best Female Artist 2008
May - Live DVD released Post Modern World.
June - Karen Zoid forms record label,ZEP
I Am South African –Human Rights Day Special – Live on SABC 2
Launch of Wild African Liqueur Cream CPT – May 2008
The Shoprite Woman of The Year Awards – August
Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Celebration – August
2009
Headlined Various South African Music Festivals including the prestigious national institution “Oppikoppi” festival.
Recorded and released the a hugely succesful “Ultimate Zoid” album with the frst released singles being immediatelly playlisted on high rotation on most major radio stations.
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