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Zindzi Okenyo
Also known asOkenyo[1]
Born1985 or 1986 (age 38–39)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
GenresR&B, hip hop, soul[2][3]
Occupation(s)Musician, actress
LabelsElefant Traks[4]
Websitewww.okenyo.com

Zindzi Okenyo (born 1985 or 1986) 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

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Music

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In 2013, Okenyo signed to the promotional label Niche Productions,[7] and in 2016 to indie record Label Elefant Traks.[4] 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

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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] Okenyo would also appear in Stan original series Critical Incident.[27]

Theatre

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Okenyo has performed in the following theatre productions:

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes Ref
2024 Critical Incident Inspector Ivy Tsuma TV series: 6 episodes
Troppo Sweeney TV series: 8 episodes
2023 Wolf Like Me Alex TV series: 2 episodes
Deadloch Kate TV series: 2 episodes
Totally Completely Fine Caitlin TV series 2 episodes
2022 Fisk Patch TV series 1 episode
2021 Wakefield Tamara
2019 Get Krack!n Nekisa
2018 Harrow Sally
2017 Sisters Amanda TV series: 7 episodes
2017 Janet King Sophie TV series: 1 episode
2015 Hiding Jacq TV series 3 episodes
2014 The Code Millie TV series 4 episodes
Wonderland Maxy Slipper TV series 1 episode
Plonk Hip blogger

Film appearances

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Year Title Role Notes
2020 The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee ACN Anchor
2019 This Time, Maybe Zoe
Lilttle Monsters Security Guard #1
2017 The Casting Game Bonnie
2009 What if Girl Officer Worker Short

References

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

Further reading

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