Karen Zoid

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Cover of Poles Apart, Karen Zoid's 2001 debut album

Karen Zoid (born Karen Louise Greeff) is a female South African rock artist with both vocal and guitar talent. She is also an acclaimed songwriter with 42 of her songs released over her three EMI albums (23 in English, 19 in Afrikaans). She has gone from being a teenage busker on the streets of Johannesburg to an award-winning national figure.

Her band is composed of Don Reinecke on lead guitar and co-writer on many of her songs, Rixi Roman on bass guitar and Marlon Green on drums and percussion. In 2004 she married Don Reinecke. On 29 January 2007 Karen and Don welcomed a third member to their family, baby boy Ben Francis Reinecke.

She was born, on 10 August 1978, in Brussels, Belgium, to a South African diplomat, and grew up there and in Johannesburg.

Her first album, "Poles Apart", released by EMI in June 2001, was an instant success, especially amongst the youth of South African. Even the press started referring to the "Zoid Generation", and her icon status was highlighted in 2004 by both Time Magazine and U.S. News & World Report. In 2002 she was a nomination in the finalists for South African Woman of the Year.

EMI released her second album, "Chasing the Sun", in June 2003, and her third, "Media" In July 2005.

All three of her albums have achieved Gold Record status.

She has consistently had major radio play and many of her songs have attained cult status across language, cultural and ethnic lines. Her CD's have been included on the audio entertainment of international flights to and from South Africa. She has written music for television and two of her songs featured in the 2006 movie "Number 10".

Her status as a cross-cultural icon was exemplified when she performed at the inauguration of State President Mbeki. She and her band also performed at the Nelson Mandela 46664 concert where she shared the stage with Queen and Katie Melua. She and her band have had several concerts in London over the years. In 2006 they performed in London again as well as Canada and in Dubai at the Dubai Desert Rhythm Festival.

Her songs, both in English and Afrikaans, are regarded as poetry. In fact, her songs are part of the first year university curriculum in Afrikaans at some universities, for example in course AFR 164 at the University of Pretoria. In 2004 she was the poster face and main speaker at an international poetry conference in Cape Town.

She recently changed her record company and is currently working on her fourth album, to be released in 2007 by Just Music of South Africa.