Karen and Kahn

A Divine Duo

I was delighted to hear that two of my favourite South African artists, Karen Zoid and Kahn Morbee, had collaborated on a song, We Could Be Divine and was even more elated to hear that they would be coming to Cape Town for two shows at the Artscape. 

Karen walked onto stage looking like rock royalty in an all-black ensemble, complete with a knee-length coat and killer patent leather boots, while Kahn was on point (as always) in a suit which I later decided was periwinkle blue, a matching bowler hat and the coolest white sneakers.  Their energy on stage from the minute the show started was palpable, almost as if it was able to power the thirty-odd light bulbs suspended from the ceiling, which created the perfect ambience for the show, along with the free-standing chandeliers on stage.

What I loved about the show is that they did not simply sing each other’s songs together; they each added a part of themselves to the music, thereby reimagining the hits that we’ve come to know and love over the years.  I thoroughly enjoyed the new arrangements, different harmonies and even different instruments that breathed new life into familiar songs.  Their synergy was undeniable and it felt natural, which translated to a kick-ass performance.  I also realised once again how flippin’ funny Karen Zoid is.

Some songs stood out for me:

Giant Mistake – one of my favourite Parlotones songs of all time, and Karen’s soaring vocals just made it magical.

Beautiful – I will admit I got a little emotional in this song, partly because of the beautiful arrangement but also because of Kahn’s preceding message about tolerance and respect.

Afrikaners is Plesierig – I loved the word play at the start of the song, “Kahn is plesierg”, as well as the fact that the song holds many special memories for me.

Small Room – another favourite Karen song that was “camped up” as she put it with an 80s-esque intro.

We Could Be Divine – it is no surprise that this single has done so well on the charts since its release and it was awesome to hear it performed live for the first time.

A Girl Named Paris – this is a song from Kahn’s forthcoming album (insert excited face here) and I think it’s going to be a hit.  I’m not sure if it was just me, but I thought it had a slight Erasure vibe.

Because the Night – the closing song was a cover of a Patti Smith Group classic and they rocked it!  A perfect ending to the show.

The encore number was Aeroplane Jane (from my favourite Karen album, Post-Modern World) and the entire audience were on their feet, making me wish that that had happened throughout the show.

I cannot think of a better way to spend a Wednesday evening (or any evening for that matter).  Thank you, Karen and Kahn, for sharing your talent and passion with your fellow earthlings on this pale blue dot.  Here’s to many more magical collaborations.