South Africa can successfully boast capturing one of the most skilled and diverse artists around and convincing him to linger on our shores permanently. Having become a household name in SA, Angolan-born and Cuban-raised, DJ Dino Bravo is synonymous for his hit collaborations and the most recent release features the new pop and swing sensation, Shelley.
The hot new single, Dreams (a re-work on the Gabrielle hit), is infused with a variety of rhythmic elements resulting in infectious dance beats that music lovers will not get enough of. A newcomer to the SA contemporary music scene, this will be Shelley’s debut single ahead of her first album release later this year.
“We’ve taken a commercial classic and created something new and fresh, with a distinctive local twist” says Shelley.
Full of energy and soul, Shelley adds new dimensions to the local music scene.
Hailing from Johannesburg, Shelley’s talent and passion led her to intensive studies at the National School of the Arts and the College of Performing Arts. Thereafter, she trained at the Guildford Academy of Contemporary Music in London, where the likes of Ed Sheeran, a Sugababes and Camilla Kerslake are alumni.
She further honed her musical skills by training with Johannesburg-based, award-winning vocalist, songwriter, composer and producer, RJ Benjamin as well as Charlie Rinks, a singer, pianist and violinist from London who specialised in jazz, blues, pop, soul and rock.
Inspired by her teachers and her passion for music, Shelley’s music incorporates various musical genres…with a twist. Swing, pop, soft rock and dance are combined with the styles from the 50s through to the 80s and songs by Yvonne Elliman, Etta James, Shirley Brown and Cher all form part of her repertoire.
Bringing in the old with new, Shelley hopes to emulate artists such as Amy Winehouse and Nancy Sinatra and her debut album will include classics by Madonna and ABBA, as well as familiar sounds of disco, funk and clubby jazz tunes remixed by Dino Bravo. The album is produced by Bongani Nxumalo.
The soulful singer emphasises a career highlight as featuring in a TV special broadcast live to the Carnegie Hall in New York where her ensemble “virtually” shared the stage with legendary and world-renowned South African jazz legend, Hugh Masakela. She has also performed in various musicals including Timeline 80 and Strawberry Jam. She also recorded an album with friends in support of charity titled “Friends at Christmas” – one of her proudest achievements. Besides bringing joy with her beautiful voice, Shelley is a dedicated philanthropist – when she’s not gracing the stage, she also works as an aftercare teacher in Johannesburg.
