A multi-lingual songstress hailing from Germany and signed to Motown records, Joy Denalane has been active in Germany’s music scene since her 2002 debut album Mamani. The daughter of a German mother and South African father, Denalane’s style fuses soul, African folk and hip-hop, delivered in both English and German, but also Xhosa and Shangan. She has collaborated with the likes of South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela, R&B singer-songwriter Bilal, and rapper Lupe Fiasco.
Joy’s fifth album Let Yourself Be Loved is due for release this coming September. Her latest single ‘Forever’ pays homage to her soulful influences with its live instrumentation and Motowny flavours. Her sinewy vocals build power and momentum in the chorus.
“The song was quite a challenge”, says Joy. “The melody and arrangement have less of my signature than many of the songs on the album. I deliberately wanted to write something that theoretically other artists could also sing. Something classic.”
