Ex-Noisettes Star Shingai Shoniwa Wows @ The Albany

Zimbabwean singer songwriter Shingai is not accustomed to recognition. Former front women of the ‘Noisettes’, she has now decided to pursue her solo career. She had her debut performance (performing tracks from her new album ‘Ancient Futures’) and it’s clear that she is not here to play around.

 Taking to the stage in a shimmering orange two piece Shingai didn’t mess around, she went straight into a captivating and enchanting performance of her new track ‘Zimtron’. Her vocals were on absolute top form, and it’s clear that she’s an artist with extensive vocal training and coaching under her belt. This first track acted as a show-and-tell for her voice, it displayed her vocal range as well as the beautiful tone that she has.

 The show included the remainder of her debut E.P, as well as a mesmerizing cover of Mariam Makeba’s ‘Ask the Rising Sun’. She then finished off her set with two additional tracks from the new E.P. The final song gave way for an impromptu dance break with audience members joining the band on stage, an improvised ending that rounded off the event perfectly and gave the audience members (if only for a few brief moments) a sense of real community.

Shingai is an extremely talented performer, her stage presence is electric, and there is no doubt that her debut E.P ‘Ancient Futures’ is going to be amazing. One can only hope that there are live dates already scheduled for the rest of this year and beyond…