On invitation of ‘One Day For Another World’ (OXFAM) Sioen went to the township Soweto in South Africa to set up collaboration with local musicians. He met living legend Pops Mohamed (kora, kalimba, mbira) and Khaya Mahlangu (saxophone player with Hugh Masekela) and together with Stella Khumalo (backing vocalist with Miriam Makeba) he organised an audition in the heart of Soweto to select 4 backing vocalists with an amazing voice.
During the festival ‘Gentse Feesten’ he brought this group of musicians to Belgium and the energetic and melodic new songs made the concert a great succes and ‘talk of the town’. Newspaper ‘De Standaard’ wrote: “We always sympathise with someone who plays a whole new repertoire in front of an audience. And Sioen succeeded with brilliance!”
And so it happened. Pushed by the enthusiasm of the fans after the concert, Sioen went back to South Africa to record the album ‘Calling Up Soweto’: ‘To the township of the townships, where I took my boots. On the train to Naledi, where Jo’burg has its roots. To the sound of revolution and the vibe on the streets. When I’m gone I sing the blues, in Soweto, that’s where I lost my shoes’.
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