Chiwoniso Maraire Explained

Chiwoniso Maraire (5 March 1976 – 24 July 2013) was a Zimbabwean singer, songwriter, and exponent of Zimbabwean mbira music. She was the daughter of Zimbabwean mbira master and teacher Dumisani Maraire (and former officer in the Zimbabwe Ministry of Sports and Culture in the early 1980s).[1] Describing the mbira, an instrument traditionally used by male musicians,[2] she said, "It is like a large xylophone. It is everywhere in Africa under different names: sanza, kalimba, etc. For us in Zimbabwe it is the name for many string instruments. There are many kinds of mbiras. The one that I play is called the nyunga nyunga, which means sparkle-sparkle."[3]

Biography

Born in 1976 in Olympia, Washington, where her father had moved his family, The song bird spent the first seven years of her life in the US. She spent a portion of her high school years attending The Northwest School in Seattle, Washington. When she moved back to Zimbabwe she attended Mutare Girls' High School and took evening classes at the University of Zimbabwe, where her father was teaching.[4]

In the early 1990s, when she was 15, she formed part of the Afro-fusion hip-hop trio A Peace of Ebony, which "was perhaps the first group to fuse mbira with contemporary beats".[5] In 1996, she joined The Storm, a band led by guitarist Andy Brown (who later became her husband): "The Storm became one of Zimbabwe's biggest bands, touring the world and winning accolades.... Maraire's firm voice and Brown's plucky guitar made a beautiful combination."

Chiwoniso fronted her acoustic group Chiwoniso & Vibe Culture for several years. Her first album, Ancient Voices, was released to international acclaim in 1995.[6] In 1998, she toured West Africa and Europe with fellow mbira player, Kurai Mubaiwa, serving as the opening act for Cape Verdean singer-songwriter Cesária Évora.[7] [8]

Chiwoniso went on to record three more albums: Timeless (2004), Hupenyu Kumusha, Life at Home, Impilo Ekhaya. The Collaboration: Volume 1 (2006), and Rebel Woman (2008). From 2001 to 2004, she was also a core member of the multinational all-women band Women's Voice, whose original members hailed from Norway, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, the United States, Israel, and Algeria. Chiwoniso also starred in film, having worked on the soundtracks for movies and documentaries by an array of Zimbabwean writers and film producers in the last ten years.[9] She made her last recording in March 2013, and "Zvichapera", a cover of Thomas Mapfumo's song, was released posthumously in 2015.[10]

She said, "To beat people, to threaten people, to put a person in a situation where they have to think for the next five hours about whether or not they are going to be okay — is a very, very bad thing to do."[11]

Death and suicide of daughter

Maraire died on 24 July 2013 at South Medical Hospital in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, aged 37.[12] According to her manager Cosmas Zamangwe, she had been admitted to hospital 10 days earlier suffering from chest pains.[13] The cause of death was the result of suspected pneumonia, just a year after the death of her ex-husband, Andy Brown, also a prominent musician. The couple left behind two daughters, Chengeto and Chiedza.[14] [15] She was buried at her rural home in Chakohwa village in Mutambara.[16]

On September 12, 2015, the younger of her daughters, 15 year old Chiedza Brown, died by suicide.[17] Chiedza was also a musician in the Mbira tradition like her mother and an accomplished singer.[18] [19] The last surviving member of Maraire's family with Andy Brown is her daughter, Chengeto, although Andy Brown had other children, the step-siblings of Maraire's daughters.[20]

Awards and honours

Chiwoniso was honoured by Radio France ("Decouverte Afrique") for her debut album, Ancient Voices (1998), and was nominated in the Kora All-Africa Music Awards for best female vocals of Africa in 1999.[21] The album entered the World Music Charts Europe three times.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Spurious/Untraced

Also appears on

tracks 1, 15 and 17 (soundtrack, 1996)

Hondo Ye Sadza (2000)

Mamani (2002)

Passage of Time (2003)

Sketches of Africa (2012)

Featured by

Compilations

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/07/26/a-tribute-to-chiwoniso-maraire/ Ropafadzi Mapimhidze, "Multimedia: A tribute to Chiwoniso Maraire"
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jul/26/chiwoniso Robin Denselow, "Chiwoniso obituary", The Guardian
  3. http://www.nouveauafricana.com/entertainment/artist/chiwoniso.html Nouveau Africana
  4. http://allafrica.com/stories/201307250139.html Innocent Ruwende, "Chiwoniso Maraire Dies"
  5. http://mg.co.za/article/2013-07-27-chiwoniso-maraire-the-mbira-falls-silent Jason Moyo, "Chiwoniso Maraire: The mbira falls silent", Mail & Guardian
  6. http://www.hararenews.co.zw/2013/07/a-life-to-celebrate-chiwoniso-maraire-1976-2013/ "A life to celebrate: Chiwoniso Maraire (1976 – 2013)"
  7. https://www.nova.fr/musiques/25-ans-de-sono-mondiale-42-chiwoniso-vibe-culture-en-1998-127616-09-02-2021/ Néo Géo Nova : le Live 25 ans de sono mondiale #42 : Chiwoniso & Vibe Culture en 1998
  8. https://www.creativebc.com/2021/08/zimbamoto/ Zimbamoto
  9. Web site: Chiwoniso Official Website. . 2007-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090506214639/http://www.chiwoniso.com/biography.html . 2009-05-06 . dead .
  10. Web site: Zvichapera, by Chiwoniso. Nyami Nyami Records. 2016-07-20.
  11. http://zimbabwemetro.com/2007/12/02/chiwoniso-chirikure-speaks-out-on-political-violence/ "Chiwoniso speaks out against police brutality in Zimbabwe"
  12. http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-11808-Chiwoniso+Maraire+dies+aged+37/news.aspx "Singer Chiwoniso Maraire dies aged 37"
  13. http://www.contactmusic.com/story/african-musician-chiwoniso-maraire-dies_3780516 "Chiwoniso Maraire - African Musician Chiwoniso Maraire Dies", Contactmusic, 25 July 2013.
  14. Web site: Chiwoniso Maraire: Zimbabwe singer dies, 37. 25 July 2013. 25 July 2013. BBC News.
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20130823053006/http://www.swradioafrica.com/2013/07/25/zimbabwe-mbira-queen-chiwoniso-maraire-dies/ Violet Gonda, "Zimbabwe mbira queen Chiwoniso Maraire dies"
  16. http://www.herald.co.zw/chiwoniso-laid-to-rest-amid-family-feud/ "Chiwoniso laid to rest amid family feud"
  17. http://www.3-mob.com/?p=22500#.Vm9ewK41T3A Chiedza Brown Orbituary & Funeral Arrangements
  18. http://nehandaradio.com/2015/09/13/andy-browns-daughter-commits-suicide/ Andy Brown's daughter commits suicide
  19. https://www.newsday.co.zw/2015/09/15/maraire-brown-families-seek-privacy-over-chiedzas-death/ Maraire, Brown families seek privacy over Chiedza's death
  20. http://www.slaymemorialfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1657196 In Memoriam: Chiedza Zvondiwe Brown, December 13, 1999 - September 12, 2015
  21. http://m.voazimbabwe.com/a/1710178.html Tatenda Gumbo, "Zimbabweans Pay Tribute to Late Mbira Maestro Chiwoniso", VOA Zimbabwe
  22. Written by Keith Farquharson & Chiwoniso, recorded in 2005/2007, mixed in 2012. Louis Mhlanga guitar, Sam Mataure drums, Ian Hillman bass, Chiwoniso mbira & hosho, Keith Farquharson on piano and all other keys and programming.
  23. Web site: Hear Globally.
  24. Web site: Positive Generation. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160823154530/https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Bcmx5enj3dom3iggjlitjgbdqce&tid=song-Txnmz5amah36qfjf4oxpa3gzgwq. 2016-08-23.
  25. Web site: HIV, Aids documentary set for release.

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