Okenyo

Zindzi Okenyo

Also known as| Okenyo[1]
Born| 1985 or 1986 (age 38–39)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres| R&B, hip hop, soul[2][3]
Occupation(s)| Musician, actress
Labels| Elefant Traks[4]
Website| www.okenyo.com

Musical artist

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

[edit]

### Music

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Okenyo has performed in the following theatre productions:

* An Ideal Husband, Melbourne Theatre Company[28]
* Antony and Cleopatra, Sydney Opera House[29]
* La traviata, Belvoir St Theatre[30]
* Gaybies, Eternity Playhouse[31]

## Filmography

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Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes  | Ref

|
|
|
|

2024  | Critical Incident | Inspector Ivy Tsuma  | TV series: 6 episodes  |
Troppo (TV series) | 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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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* Daniel, Smriti (16 March 2022). "Zindzi Okenyo on racism in Australian theatre and honouring Saartjie Baartman in Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

## External links

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* Okenyo at IMDb

Authority control databases: Artists |

* MusicBrainz

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