After a successful east Africa tour, afro soul singer Berita is making her way to East London next week to perform at the Velvet Jazz Lounge as part of the June Series Concerts.
The June Series Concerts are a partnership between the lounge and singer Msaki’s OneShuShu Day Concerts and will see the likes of Berita, MXO and Samthing Soweto gracing the city next month.
Speaking with the Daily Dispatch, Berita said she was looking forward to coming back to where it all started for.
“I love performing in intimate set ups because it gives me an opportunity to take people through my musical journey,” she said.The last time Berita performed in the city was during last year’s Buyel’ Ekhaya Pan African Music Festival.
“It’s different when you are performing in a festival, you can’t really share your stories with the audience. You are rushed and it’s been a while since I’ve done my own show.
“I am excited about this. When Msaki and I spoke about this concept I was for it immediately, I didn’t even have to think about it because I love intimate performances,” she said.
Reflecting on her recent tour, Berita said she was in awe of the love she had received.
“The tour was three weeks long and it saw me visiting media houses, and doing studio sessions and shows in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.
“The tour was about introducing my music and brand that side,” she said.
She chose May for her tour because it is Africa Month, wanting to spread her wings during the time the continent’s people were celebrating their own uniqueness.
“I was amazed at the way the people were receiving my music. I did songs in isiXhosa and even though they could not understand the words, the music spoke to them.
“I also did songs in Swahili, Shona and Ndebele. Following in the footsteps of mama Miriam Makeba I want to be a Pan-African artist,” she said, adding that she had been receiving messages from people all over the continent asking her to visit their countries.
“When I started in music I was known as an Eastern Cape artist. I went on to make a name for myself nationally and now I am a South African artist.
“The next challenge for me is to become a Pan-African artist, sharing my music with the entire continent,” she said.
Berita said locals could expect to see her perform a similar set to the one she did on her tour.
“I will be sharing my journey through song. Many people ask what was happening when I wrote a particular song and this is the right time for them to hear the stories behind the music,” she said.
Catch Berita next week Saturday at the Velvet Jazz Lounge. Tickets for the show are R180 through quicket.co.za, and they will be R200 at the door. —poliswap@dispatch.co.za..