Unsung Histories
Not only does Joya Mooi make beautiful, quirky music – a mix of alternative R&B, indie and pop – but her recently released EP, Open Hearts, ties in seamlessly with the theme of our festival. In that album, she celebrates the stories of heroes who have gone unnoticed.
Take the title track, Open Hearts for instance: it was inspired by the story of Hamilton Naki, a surgical assistant and self-taught doctor who played a crucial role in the preliminary research for the first heart transplant in South Africa. Due to the apartheid regime, Naki never received any recognition for this achievement.
Joya showcases these kinds of forgotten stories and lost voices. After a successful European tour with fellow professional Benny Sings, she is now coming to warm up the autumnal North with her unsung histories.