Okenyo Explained

Zindzi Okenyo
Alias:Okenyo[1]
Birth Place:Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genre:R&B, hip hop, soul[2] [3]
Occupation:Musician, actress
Label:Elefant Traks[4]

Zindzi Okenyo (born) 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]

Career

Music

In 2013, Okenyo signed to the promotional label Niche Productions,[7] and in 2016 to indie record Label Elefant Traks. 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]

Television

Okenyo's television credits include Play School, off-screen Narrator of Hoopla Doopla! (2014),[21] the role of Amanda in the Australian television series Sisters,[22] [23] journalist Millie Hussey in the television drama series The Code, and Sophie in the series Janet King.[24]

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."[25]

In 2024, Okenyo played the role of Pip Sweeney in Troppo (2022-), which was based on Candice Fox's best-selling Crimson Lake novels.[26]

Theatre

Okenyo has performed in the following theatre productions:

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: McDonough . Keely . 5 Feb 2018 . Zindzi Okenyo presents Play School by day and acts and performs sets by night. The Daily Telegraph. 12 Jan 2019 .
  2. Web site: Actor, musician and presenter Zindzi Okenyo on taking risks and self care. Melanie. Kembrey. 26 February 2018. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  3. Web site: THE WAVE - EP by OKENYO on Apple Music. Apple Music.
  4. Web site: Okenyo Inks Deal With Elefant Traks . theMusic . 28 April 2016 . 2018-12-03.
  5. Web site: International Women's Day: Seven songs to soundtrack your International Women's Day . 8 March 2018 . ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Double J.
  6. News: Theatre star Okenyo negotiates hurdles of being a queer hip-hop artist . The Daily Telegraph . subscription.
  7. Web site: the AU interview: Okenyo (Sydney) . The AU Review . 27 September 2013 . Larry . Heath.
  8. News: Moskovitch . Greg . 21 Nov 2013 . Okenyo releases "Broken Chest" music video . musicfeeds.com.au . Sydney, Australia . 12 Jan 2019.
  9. Web site: Best Song - FBi Radio.
  10. Web site: OKENYO Teams Up With Fox Sports To Launch New WNBL Season . theMusic . 26 September 2017 . 2018-12-03.
  11. Web site: OKENYO in Apple's #TheVolumeUpSeries! . Sugaroo! . 17 March 2018.
  12. Web site: Clink Your Glasses to OKENYO's New Video For 'WOMAN's WORLD' . 9 August 2017 . Cait Emma . Burke . Noisey . Vice.
  13. Web site: Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore and Michelle Grace Hunder's 'Her Sound Her Story' . 6 July 2018 . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Take 5 . Zan . Rowe.
  14. Web site: Okenyo, Miss Blanks and Jesswar team up for a tour de force on 'Woman's World 2.0' . Purple Sneakers. 6 December 2017 . Molly . McLaughlin.
  15. Web site: This girl definitely can in Victoria . VicHealth . 26 March 2018.
  16. Web site: Santigold, Okenyo - Prince Bandroom, Melbourne 20/07/17 . Music Feeds . 21 July 2016 . Stephanie . Tell.
  17. Web site: Billie Eilish, Okenyo. theMusic.
  18. Web site: One on One: Sampology & Okenyo at SITG . Kyle . Bullock . 28 July 2015 . Red Bull.
  19. Web site: Okenyo Feed . Music Feeds. 19 May 2023 .
  20. Web site: Okenyo Announces 'The Wave' National Tour . 2018-12-03 . Niche Productions . https://web.archive.org/web/20180818115111/https://nicheproductions.com.au/okenyo-announces-the-wave-national-tour/ . 2018-08-18 . live .
  21. Web site: Building Chinese Relations with Kids TV . Megan . Reynolds . Mumbrella . 26 February 2015 . 18 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140612195136/http://mumbrella.com.au/abc-4-kids-co-production-builds-bridges-china-207880 . 12 June 2014 .
  22. News: Kembrey . Melanie . 26 Feb 2018 . Actor, musician and presenter Zindzi Okenyo on taking risks and self care . Sydney Morning Herald . 12 Jan 2019 .
  23. Web site: Review: Sisters . Virginia. DeBolt . 6 Sep 2018. oldaintdead.com . Old Ain't Dead . 12 Jan 2019 .
  24. Web site: Janet King: Full Cast & Crew . . 2017. IMDb. IMDb.com Inc.. 12 Jan 2019.
  25. Web site: 'I pushed myself': Zindzi Okenyo on EP The Wave and taking Urthboy's advice. Craig. Mathieson. 9 June 2018. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  26. Troppo (TV Series 2022–) - IMDb . 2024-08-01 . www.imdb.com.
  27. Web site: broadwayworld.com . AN IDEAL HUSBAND Season Extended at Melbourne Theatre Company . . 25 Jul 2018. Wisdom Digital Media . 12 Jan 2019.
  28. Web site: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA THEATRE REVIEW (SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE) . Kath. Kenney . 11 Mar 2018. dailyreview.com.au . Ludo Media . 12 Jan 2019.
  29. News: Tongue . Cassie . 31 Aug 2015 . Review: La Traviata – Belvoir Downstairs . AussieTheatre.com. 12 Jan 2019 .
  30. News: Blake. Jason . 12 Feb 2015 . Gaybies review: Modern families in focus in Dean Bryant's sharp verbatim show . . 17 Jan 2019 .

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