Over the last several years, Zindzi Okenyo has done a lot across the performing arts industry. Television, stage and a recording artist, Zindzi has covered just about every creative outlet in the industry.
Zindzi Okenyo is an Australian television and theatre actress and musician from Sydney. A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, she also performs music professionally under the stage name OKENYO. A large number of Australians would have fallen in love with Zindzi through her work as a presenter on ABC’s Play School.
At this year’s DreamBIG Children’s Festival, Zindzi is bringing her incredible hip-hop show Zindzi and the Zillionaires to the Space Theatre. Get ready to groove with Zindzi and her fluffy friends The Zillies as they lead a musical adventure for the whole family to vibe to. Zindzi & The Zillionaires perform upbeat songs of friendship, confidence, joy, and positivity–all set to a head bopping mix of RnB, pop, hip hop and rap.
Zindzi spoke to Glam Adelaide about the show, her time on Play School and if she always knew that the performing arts was where she wanted to forge a career.
“I had a very clear focus when I was younger, from around year 10. I had a great drama teacher, and I went full force with my education and had a great school and a lot of support from family. I ended up at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) when I was straight out of school and I kind of went from there.”
When working on Play School, the presenter spends a lot of the time talking to soft toys or directly to a camera. We asked Zindzi if that was a challenge when filming episodes of Play School.
“It’s a really great question because I think the uniqueness around Play School is that they tell you very early on that there are three cameras and the one in the middle is the child. So you’re not speaking to a group of children, you’re speaking to one child. I think that’s what’s really special because the viewers, the babies and the kids really feel like you’re genuinely engaging with them on an authentic level. So in a way, yes, it’s weird, and it’s very technical when actually filming, but you do think about your own kids, or nieces and nephews. If you think about presenting to someone you know, it makes it fun and engaging.”
Zindzi shared with us where the idea behind Zindzi and the Zillionaires came from.
“I grew up listening to whatever my older sisters and brother were listening to. They listened to a lot of R&B and pop and I guess whatever was popular at the time. So my creativity and my artistry just flows and I go out in all these different directions, and it’s just taking my skills from high school, my skills from Play School and then also my skills as a R&B hip-hop writer and putting them all together. I wanted to create music that wasn’t necessarily ‘kids music’. Yes, It’s focused on kids, but it’s really for the family; the parents can get into it and it’s music that everybody actually wants to listen to. My aim was to bring it to families as a whole and to lots of different age groups, and that’s working and I really love it.”
Zindzi and the Zillionaires will be at the DreamBIG Children’s Festival in the Space Theatre on Sunday 11 May, with shows at 1.00pm and 3.30pm.
“I really love sharing this show with audiences. It’s just so exuberant and loud and big. It’s really, really fun and super joyful. I was born in the Adelaide Hills, and I’ve got lots of family coming who wouldn’t have seen the show before, which is super exciting for me. I love connecting with people and I always stick around after the show to have the Zillies – my fluffy creature friends – come out and say hi. That’s my favourite. I love meeting the kids and connecting because that’s how you really create those relationships.”
Zindzi and the Zillionaires
Space Theatre
11 May – 1.00pm and 3.30pm
Runtime: 45 minutes
https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/zindzi-and-the-zillionaires
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