Claire Johnston (musician)
Encyclopedia
Claire Johnston is a singer best known as the face and voice of Mango Groove
. Born in the United Kingdom, she has been a South African resident for most of her life. At age ten, Claire debuted as an actor, dancer and singer in the Johannesburg
production of the musical Annie
. During her senior high school year, she joined the crossover band Mango Groove and has been a symbol of the Rainbow Nation
ever since. Despite a busy concert schedule, she completed a degree in English, Philosophy, and Politics at the University of the Witwatersrand
. She has opened for Belinda Carlisle
and performed with Freddie Mercury
.
Claire regularly performs "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
" at Springbok rugby union
internationals and was involved in South Africa's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. She is married to fellow Mango Groove musician John Leyden.
Currently she performs with Mango Groove, or with her four-piece band, as "Claire Unplugged".
's Real World Studios
. She describes her second, Africa Blue, as "a big band album including some old standards".
Mango Groove
Mango Groove is an 11-piece South African Afropop band whose music fuses marabi, kwela, and pop music. They have sold more than 700,000 albums in South Africa....
. Born in the United Kingdom, she has been a South African resident for most of her life. At age ten, Claire debuted as an actor, dancer and singer in the Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
production of the musical Annie
Annie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
. During her senior high school year, she joined the crossover band Mango Groove and has been a symbol of the Rainbow Nation
Rainbow Nation
Rainbow Nation is a term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa, after South Africa's first fully democratic election in 1994....
ever since. Despite a busy concert schedule, she completed a degree in English, Philosophy, and Politics at the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
. She has opened for Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
and performed with Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
.
Claire regularly performs "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
"Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" , was originally composed as a hymn by a Methodist mission school in Johannesburg teacher, Enoch Sontonga in 1897, to the tune 'Aberystwyth' by Joseph Parry...
" at Springbok rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
internationals and was involved in South Africa's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. She is married to fellow Mango Groove musician John Leyden.
Currently she performs with Mango Groove, or with her four-piece band, as "Claire Unplugged".
Albums
Johnston has made two solo albums. The first, Fearless, was partly recorded in 2000 at Peter GabrielPeter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's Real World Studios
Real World Studios
Real World Studios is a residential recording studio in Box, Wiltshire, England associated with the Real World Records Ltd. record label founded by rock musician Peter Gabriel...
. She describes her second, Africa Blue, as "a big band album including some old standards".