VIDEO: Singing livens vocalist’s heart

IN the words of EY Harburg, “Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought.”

It is the same feeling of thought that inspired local vocalist, Jamy-Lee Simons, to cross boarders in 2015 to Tanzania at the height of xenophobic attacks to perform and assist in reducing flared tensions.

It is the same feeling that saw her lend a helping hand to Childhood Cancer Foundation (CHOC) and in the re-building of Collingwood Primary School in Wentworth after the storm in March 2017.

“Singing is the space where my heart comes alive and my spirit connects with the divine. It’s a gift from God that I really treasure and it means the world to me,” said the 26-year-old.

Her online videos command the mindless scrolling down to a note-taking stop. Her voice is powerfully transcending to lands of milk and honey. She describes herself as a young creative soul.  

The Yellowwood Park resident said she has the desire to encourage and inspire people through music and performing arts.

“I am a professional artist. I perform live music at venues and events. I love doing covers, but like any other artistic heart out there, I write my own music and have a book of songs that I have been writing since childhood.”

Jamy-Lee studied music and dramatic arts and graduated from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Howard College. Her musical influence stems from soulful musicians with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Beyoncé Knowles.

As a live performer, she has been honoured to have crossed paths with and has worked alongside giants in live entertainment performances in the country.

Musicians in the likes of the late Theo Bophela, Jerry Kunene, Prof Philani Ngidi, Chatradari Devroop, Trevor Donjeany and Robbie Watson.

She is also a member of the well-known, highly entertaining and energetic group of singers and live performance band called Afro Divas.

“I’ve always been at home on stage and I love interacting with the band and the audience. Online is a whole new world for me. But I can’t say the push for going digital by my family was wrong. This has been the beginning of a really epic relationship with my digital audience and for my career.”

“My all-time favourite, like many of us, are the likes of Whitney Houston and other great musicians of her time. She’s basically one of the reasons I dreamt of singing on big stages to large audiences as a little girl. And to see it happen for a woman of colour made the dream even more tangible for me,” she exclaimed.

Theatre and film hold a special place in her ‘art’, having recently come off the set of a short film called Worth as the lead role. It was shot in Wentworth and is based on the social challenges that surround the area. “As an artist, Covid-19 has really had an impact on our livelihood and I encourage other artists not to give up. Share your gifts on online platforms and use this time to write, develop, rest, and grow.”

“Our normal will return to us soon enough and we will be able to shine again. To my amazing fans, thank you for gracing my page with your beautiful comments and emojis. It’s been wonderful. Continue to watch this space, better days lie ahead for all of us, stay safe and be blessed!”

Witness the rise of Jamy-Lee Simons, like her page on Facebook and Instagram @jamyleesimons.