Financial Gazette (Harare)
2 July 2009
Harare — POPULAR South African singer PJ Powers makes a welcome return to Harare this week for a show series at Reps Theatre, performing a range of songs that have helped make her a household name in entertainment throughout southern Africa during the past 25 years.
Seen recently at HIFA 2009, she is back for five stage performances in a more intimate venue than the open air concerts for which she is best known, including in her repertoire chart songs, own compositions and some of her more recent cabaret-style music.
Durban-born PJ Powers first made a name for herself in a girl group in the early 1980s and then went on to national fame across South Africa with Hotline, performing at various venues, including at stadiums in the townships at a time when crossover music between the races in South Africa was frowned on by the authorities.
She has released a number of top-selling albums and one of her greatest hits was the song Jabulani, which was released internationally.
In 1995 she sang at the opening and closing matches of the Rugby World Cup, viewed by more than 500 million people across the world. She also sang at Nelson Mandela's 1994 inauguration and at various of his birthday parties and was invited to perform for Hollywood star Charlize Theron when the actress returned to South Africa after winning an Oscar several years ago.
She has performed in Zimbabwe many times since the late 1980s and has a strong following in the country. One of her most successful appearances was before 5 000 people at a fundraising concert at the Polo Grounds just north of Harare in April 2000, which followed a critically-acclaimed, week-long show series at the Rainbow 7 Arts Theatre in 1996.
PJ Powers has a passion for Africa's underprivileged children and spends much time, effort and money in helping orphans, orphanages and children's charities.
She will be performing at the Reps tomorrow and on Saturday at 7pm, with a special matinee at 2.30pm on Saturday July 4.
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