Ziza Muftic

Ziza Muftic is a Johannesburg based musician with roots in Zagreb, Croatia. Her musical upbringing started as a Western classical violin player, then a classical singer. Today, her main form of expression lies in jazz vocals, composition and music education.
Ziza’s vocal range stretches from Jazz to Western classical repertoire. Her sound is a unique blend of Balkan and Eastern European folk songs with the American and South African Jazz styles. Ziza sings in many different languages, English, Croatian, Hungarian, Portuguese, Xhosa and Zulu. She is currently working on her third studio album release titled ‘Ziza Muftic: Singing in tongues’, featuring local artists.
Ziza has collaborated with some well- known names in the music industry, such as the SAMA winners Peter Auret and Marcus Wyatt. Wyatt produced and played on Ziza’s first album release, ‘Ziza Muftic Quartet: Silver moonbeams’ (2015). Auret (SumoSound recording studio in Johannesburg) had recorded, engineered and played on all Ziza’s album releases to date.
Her sophomore album ‘Ziza: Shining hour’, was released in May 2019 and was produced by Theodora and Kevin Drummond (Hot Club d’Afrique). Ziza has toured and performed a number of concerts in Johannesburg and Cape town, since the release of her album.
“Muftic is now feeling her shining hour. Shining Hour (2019) is her second album, entitled from songwriter, Jonny Mercer’s ‘My Shining Hour’ song of hope and high expectations, and follows on her first album, Silver Moonbeams (2015), with its Balkan rhythms, lyrics, and melodies. Her stories shine in delightfully pleasing and thoughtful ways as she handpicks from known songs and her own compositions.” Carol Martin (May 2019 ‘All Jazz Radio’)
“As I noted when I reviewed Muftic’s debut (https://sisgwenjazz.wordpress.com/2015/08/02/community-of-song-tutu-puoa...),
She’s a storyteller /chanteuse rather than a predictable, by-the-numbers “jazz” singer. When she employs a jazz technique, such as the scatting on Love is the Drug, it’s done deliberately and judiciously, to complement what she calls Ferry’s “cheeky” lyrics, rather than as a default device. Shining Hour takes that character forward with repertoire that’s both diverse and accessible – and an increasingly distinctive approach as both composer and arranger. “Gwen Ansell
“Jazz vocalist Ziza Muftic is a masterful song stylist. A South African raised in Croatia, Muftic embodies a triple heritage vortex of energy. It is made up of Eastern European folk tune sensibilities, touched by American and strengthened by South African jazz styles.” Percy Mabandu 4th July 2020 http://thecritter.co.za/?p=4245
Ziza’s third album release: https://music.apple.com/za/album/ziza-muftic-live-at-standard-bank-jazz-...
Awards: Mzantsi Jazz awards 2020 ‘Best female Jazz artist’
EPK: https://www.zizamuftic.com/new-page .