Chiwoniso Maraire

Chiwoniso Maraire
Chiwoniso Maraire, born in 1976, is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and exponent of Zimbabwean mbira music. She is the daughter of famed Zimbabwean mbira master Dumisani Maraire. She spent the first seven years of her life away from her homeland Zimbabwe as her father moved the family to Washington in the U.S. in the year 1970 to pursue a degree in Ethnomusicology. On the album Ancient Voices (produced 1995) she melds the conventional and modern, sings in English and African languages, and uses contemporary instruments and traditional African instruments such as the mbira. She learned how to play the instrument despite the fact that traditionally, women in Zimbabwe were not permitted to play it. The mbira, she says, "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." [1] Chiwoniso has been fronting her acoustic group Chiwoniso & Vibe Culture for several years. From 2001 to 2004, she was also a core member of the multinational all-women band Womens Voice, whose original members hailed from Norway, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, America, Israel and Algeria. Chiwoniso has also been busy 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. [2] She also narrated a feature documentary Liemba [3] released in 2010. In February 2006, she joined Busi Ncube, Adam Chisvo, Peter Chiwoniso Maraire live "Mashasha" Mujuru and many others Zimbabwean artists in an ad-hoc band called The Collaboration and recorded Hupenyu Kumusha, Life at Home, Impilo Ekhaya. The band performed in Zanzibar's Sauti za Busara 2007 Festival. In September 2008, Chiwoniso released her fourth album and first international album in over ten years, Rebel Woman. The album perfectly mirrors Chiwoniso's life in the way that she sings about her personal experiences. From her own spirituality to a passerby on the street, every song in Rebel Woman was influenced by a specific event in her life. Recognizing that artists play an important role in society, this masterful album speaks out in support of every issue Chiwoniso has witnessed, regardless of the consequences. She blends ancient, African soul, with modern spirit accompanied by the melodies of the mbira and deep grooves.

Chiwoniso Maraire

Chiwoniso Maraire

Speaking out against Police brutality

While on tour in Denmark Chiwoniso spoke out against police brutality and violence in Zimbabwe. 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.'[4]

Discography
Ancient Voices (released 2001) Timeless (released 2004) Hupenyu Kumusha, Life at Home, Impilo Ekhaya. The Collaboration: Volume 1. (2006) Rebel Woman (2008)

Compilations Listen To The Banned (2010)

References
[1] Nouveau Africana (http:/ / www. nouveauafricana. com/ entertainment/ artist/ chiwoniso. html) [2] Chiwoniso Official Website (http:/ / www. chiwoniso. com/ biography. html) [3] http:/ / www. liemba. org [4] Chiwoniso speaks out against police brutality in Zimbabwe, [[Zimbabwe Metro (http:/ / zimbabwemetro. com/ 2007/ 12/ 02/ chiwoniso-chirikure-speaks-out-on-political-violence/ )] ]

External links
Zimbabwe Metro Music Online (http://www.zimetromusic.com) Chiwoniso Official Website (http://www.chiwoniso.com/) Sauti za Busara 2007 (http://www.busaramusic.com/database/artists.php?whereartistlike=%The Collaboration ft Chiwoniso &Busi Ncube%) Women's voice (http://www.womensvoiceweb.com/english/intro.html) Thulani Promotions Zimbabwe (http://www.thulani.net/)

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Chiwoniso Maraire Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=544711605 Contributors: Africa Festival, BD2412, Bakersville, Brianhe, Denisarona, EricValley, Johnbillingsley, Johnpacklambert, Melba1, Miska2k, Namiba, PhnomPencil, Rikyu, Tbennert, Woohookitty, 19 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

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License
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