Portia Manyike Talipot

Award winning singer and dancer, a student of classical singing, Manyike has performed on international stages with world-renowned South African choreographer Vincent Mantose and Indian choreographer Savitry Naair. She is a recording artist with Johanesburg, South African based female choir, Amakhono We Sintu with whom she performed and toured (Reunion Island and France) traditional songs and dances of the South African people and cultures. At the Festival de Jazz de Tourcoing, France, the group performed with the great Diane Reeves. During her tenure with Amankhono, Manyike received the Tsonga prize for Best Gospel singer and Best Dancer (1997). Her theater credits include South African based theater groups Kuma Group, Company Talipot and Drum Café. Company Talipot’s play Passage was awarded the 1999 Total Theater Prize for Best Theater Company in the Fringe Festival in Ecosse National Arts Festival of Grahamstown, South Africa. Based in Paris, France, Manyike has performed in the La Grand Fête du Théâtre Musical (A celebration of musical theater) at Théâtre Comedia featured in a musical rendition of Broadway musical RENT’s “I’ll Cover You”, French adaptation by Herve Lewandowski and Aurélien Berda and staged by Wanjiru Kamuyu and performed as an ensemble singer and cover to the role of Rafiki in director Julie Taymor’s Broadway musical The Lion King in the Paris, France production. Thereafter, she performed in The Lion King’s Singapore production. Currently, she is in the creative process of developing a one-woman show that honors the life and art of the late legendary singer Miriam Makeba. She is a founding company member of WKcollective.