(October 15, 2024 -- New York, NY) – Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, in partnership with The Estate of Whitney E. Houston and Primary Wave Music will release Houston’s first live concert album, Whitney Houston: The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) on Friday, November 8, in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of her historical visit to South Africa. The new live album features music from the unprecedented concert event including Whitney’s greatest hits, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “How Will I Know,” “I Have Nothing,” “Greatest Love of All,” “I Will Always Love You,” and other landmark classics including “Amazing Grace,” and her rendition of Charlie Smalls’ “Home” from the Broadway musical, The Wiz.
The collection features three configurations with slightly different track listings on CD,vinyl, and digital for the first time. Also included in the CD and digital collection is the first-ever release of the studio recording, “Love Is.” To pre-order, click here. Check out a video performance of “I Have Nothing,” from the concert film.
Early reactions of the live recordings start with Sony Music Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer, Clive Davis, who signed Whitney to Arista Records when she was 19 years old. Davis says, “If you want to experience the greatest female contemporary voice of all time, you must see Whitney Houston’s South Africa Durban concert film and own the album. There will never be another Whitney Houston.”
“When Sony sent me the remastered version of the music, I was floored by the quality of the sound and purity of her voice,” says Pat Houston, the executor of The Estate of Whitney E. Houston. “This album will remind, not just her core fans, but music lovers worldwide of Whitney’s virtuosity as a recording artist. I’m sure her fans will love and appreciate the live iteration of her hit classics. The fans have been waiting on this project for more than a decade and they certainly have expressed and made their sentiments known.”
With more than 220 million combined albums, singles and videos sold worldwide during her career, Whitney Houston has established a benchmark for superstardom. She is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, has eight multi-platinum albums and was the first female artist to enter the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 1. She is also the first Black recording artist to receive three RIAA Diamond-certified albums (by a female, male or group).
Trafalgar Releasing and Sony Music Entertainment in partnership with The Estate of Whitney E. Houston, The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation and Primary Wave Music will release the concert film in select cinemas worldwide on October 23rd and 27th, featuring the never-before released concert from Durban, South Africa, which has been beautifully remastered in 4K with remastered audio. The screenings will take place in nearly 1,000 cinemas worldwide in more than 30 countries. In addition to the United States, the concert film will open in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Zambia. Tickets for the theatrical screenings are on sale now, click here for further details.
In 1994, Whitney Houston performed a series of three concerts in South Africa including Durban at Kings Park Stadium on November 8, Johannesburg (November 12), and Cape Town (November 19), which made her the first major Western recording artist to perform in the newly unified, post-apartheid nation following President Nelson Mandela’s historic election win. The three performances included a combined 200,000 plus attendees and were more than concerts; they were a celebration of freedom, hope, and unity. Whitney’s powerhouse voice and emotional delivery brought joy and inspiration to a country newly liberated. Additionally, portions of the proceeds from her concerts benefited numerous local South African children’s charities through her foundation.
The concert film, Whitney Houston – The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) is a film produced and directed by Marty Callner. It is a production of Cream Cheese Films. The executive producer is Pat Houston. Sony Music Vision is the distributor.
Film Website: http://www.WhitneySouthAfrica.com
About Trafalgar Releasing
Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in event cinema distribution, harnesses the power of cinema to bring fans together in more than 15,000 cinemas across 132 countries. A subsidiary of Trafalgar Entertainment, Trafalgar Releasing’s operations include production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of live or pre-recorded content to cinemas worldwide led by an international team based in the UK, US and Germany. Featuring live concerts, music documentaries, world-class opera, award-winning theatre, and more from leading names in entertainment such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, Metallica, Oasis, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, the Royal Opera House and others, Trafalgar Releasing has repeatedly shattered event cinema box office records, most recently with international distribution for TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR, the highest-grossing concert film of all time. Information about Trafalgar Releasing can be found at www.trafalgar-releasing.com.
About Sony Music Vision
At Sony Music Vision, we bring film and television storytelling to life for our industry-leading creative talent and iconic music catalog around the world. We pair world class filmmakers with groundbreaking and legendary artists to create, finance, produce and distribute powerful content that features unique access to our archives and vast portfolio of music. A full-service content studio, we collaborate globally across the Sony entertainment companies to engage audiences with premium film and TV projects, including documentary and narrative feature films, as well as television specials and unscripted and scripted series.
About Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is home to the world's foremost library of historically significant commercial recordings, a peerless collection of works by the most important musical artists of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Across a variety of platforms, the label offers contemporary music fans access to thousands of meticulously restored archival titles representing virtually every musical genre.
About Primary Wave Music
Primary Wave Music is the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world. The company is home to some of the most iconic songwriters, artists, and record labels across the history of recorded music. The songs represented by Primary Wave Music include over 1,000 Top 10 singles and over 400 #1 hits. Throughout the company’s 15-year existence, Primary Wave Music has embraced an entrepreneurial spirit, offering and executing proactive one-of-a-kind ideas, unique services and marketing campaigns for our artists. https://PrimaryWave.com/
About The Estate of Whitney E. Houston
The Estate of Whitney E. Houston was established in 2012, following the death of the international renowned superstar. Led, managed, and administered by Executor Pat Houston, the mission of the Estate is to further expand the global legacy of Whitney Houston. Through its partnership with Primary Wave Music, the Estate will continue the work of The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation, as well as the expansion of music recordings, film, television, and theatrical projects; brand development, and new partnerships and initiatives that authentically represent Whitney Houston’s voice and heart for service, young people, education, and community.
About The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation
In 2020, the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation was formed as a continuation of The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, initially established in 1989. The mission of the foundation was part of her journey to rebuild lives, restore self-esteem and repair images through grassroots programs and initiatives for today’s youth globally. In 1997, through the outstanding charitable work of the foundation, Whitney E. Houston’s elementary school was renamed The Whitney E. Houston Academy for Performing & Creative Arts. Originally opened in 1873 as Franklin School and is now the oldest building in the East Orange, New Jersey’s school district. https://WhitneyHoustonFoundation.org/.
Music and Entertainment Publicity New York
Gwendolyn Quinn
The Estate of Whitney E. Houston
GwendolynQuinn@aol.com
