Gospel time: Shingisai Suluma and Fungisai Mashavave

Shingisai Suluma

She is singer, wife, mother and our all time favourite when it comes to gospel music.Shingisai Suluma was born on the 28^th of February 1971 in Gweru. She is married to Stephen Suluma. She recorded her first album in 1995 called “Zvakanaka.”She is well known for her songs such as “Gogozda” “Mirira Mangwanani” “Nanhasi” among others. She is a well established gospel singer in Zimbabwe and beyond. She has won awards for best female gospel artist in the Zimbabwe Music Awards for her outstanding work as a female gospel singer. Shingisai works alongside her outstanding Joy Street Choir. Shingisai studied a BA (Hons) in Art and Design in England (www.newzim.com). The message in her songs makes us  helplessly fall in love with her.

 

Shingisai Suluma-www.newzim.com

Fungisai Zvakabapano Mashavave

FungisaiZvakabapano Mashavave was born on the 27^th of January 1981 in Bvuma. She is married to a banker Courage Mashavave. Like many gospel singers her career started at church. She released her first album “Tinokutendai” back in 2000.She like Shingisai is a wife and singer. Mashavave is also gifted in designing and some of her includes the costumes she designs for her band. She is well known for her songs such as “Kurarama inyasha” “Pindirai” “”Ndiyejesu” among others .She is also identified in some “unique” collaborations with artists such as Jah Praizah. Fungisai is  also refered to by some of her fans as the gospel star ‘Diva’ because of her unique flair and style on stage. She is a very energetic lady on stage and she lights up her performances with her beautiful voice.

Fungisai Zvakabapano Mashavave-www.newzim.com

Brenda Fassy :Forever the 'Kasi' Madonna

Brenda Fassie-afripopmag.com

Two words that have been used to describe her: “controversial” and “bold” by many and she indeed lived up to them. Brenda Nokuzola Fassie was born in November 1964 in Langa, Capetown. Named after the American country singer Brenda Lee, she was the youngest of nine children.

In 1981 at the age of 16, she left Capetown for Soweto, Johannesburg to seek her fortune as a singer and later became a lead singer of a township music group called Brenda and the Big Dudes.

Brenda is well known for her hit songs such as “Weekend special” “Too late for mama” “Nomakanjani” and “Vulindlela” among others. Some of the albums she released include “Now is the time” “Memeza” “Nomakanjani” and Memeza was the best selling album in South Africa in 1998 (www.history.org.za).

In all her great achievements as an African Pop singer, Brenda had her weaknesses which eventually lead to her downfall.  It is on record that Brenda suffered from a serious addiction of cocaine. She was in and out of rehab to deal with the addiction. It was a cocaine overdose that eventually lead to her death on the 9^th of May 2004.

She was indeed an icon in the South African music industry.Fassie indeed dominated with her strong voice and boldness that she carried throughout her every performance on any stage. A great measure of her importance to the South African family was when Thabo Mbeki the then SA president, Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela visited her bedside (during her last days) when she was admitted after she collapsed at her home.

Be that as it may be, we remember Fassie as a great entertainer who moved the crowds and lifted people's spirits with her incredible zeal on stage. She will forever be the Queen of African Pop {Irreplaceable###}.

Brenda Fassie-www.history.org.za

Zahara and Tuku take on UK

Zahara and Oliver “Tuku” Mutukuzdi are scheduled to share a stage this Easter Holiday in the United Kingdom.

 The African legend Oliver and his band “the black spirits” and  the Afro soul singer Zahara each expressed enthusiasm about working together on this endeavor. The Loliwe hit maker said “l love the atmosphere of sharing the stage with Africa’s legend Mutukuzdi .I always feel good playing alongside Tuku and feel so much at home”(www.southerneye.co.zw).Mutukuzdi on the other hand said “I watched Zahara perform on many occasions and she is one hell of a talent and UK people will not be disappointed”(www.southerneye.co.zw).

Tuku is expected to future songs from his latest album Mukombe Wemvura and the classic hits from previous albums .The African legend launched his album later last year. Songs in the album include Zvineita Tikudzwe, Hukoche-koche, Kamburumbunde,Dzinga Hwema,Kumba Manyowa,Prekezda Hwaro,Munhikwi and Feso.

Zahara is a SA singer- song writer and poet. She started singing at school at the age of six and when she turned nine she joined the senior choir thanks to her incredible voice. Her debut “Loliwe” album proved to be a success as it went platinum in 13days and went double platinum after just 12days, selling over 100 000 copies in SA making her the second musician after Brenda Fussy to reach this figure in such record time.

 

Zahara-Bulawayo24.com

On may 1 2012, at the SA music awards, Zahara won  eight awards including “Best female artist” andAlbum of the year award for the album “Loliwe.”

Oliver Mutukuzdi-www.southerneye.co.zw

Zahara means shining and Bulelwa Mtukana (Zahara’s real name) is leaving up to that name as she continues to shine in Africa and beyond.

Flashback: Zimdancehall awards

Zimdancehall artists from different denominations stood out  as they walked away with awards from various categories they had been nominated for at the Zimdancehall awards  held last weekend at East End Hall in Harare. 
 

Prominent Zimdancehall artists such as Tocky Vibes, Winky D and Sir Calaz are said to have dominated at the awards.

The awards ceremony was a resounding success for a genre that is normally associated with negativity and violence (www.herald.co.zw). The ceremony was characterised by major improvements from the one held last year which were dogged down by traces of violence.

Some of the nomination categories that stood out and the artists who scooped them include:

v # Best Male Artist-Tocky Vibes

v # Best Female Artist-Lady Squanda

v # Song of the Year-‘Mhai’ Tocky Vibes

v # Zimdancehall ambassador-Freeman

v # Best Video-‘Ndinochema’-Seh Calaz

v # Best vocalist-Seh Calaz

v # Best Album-Silver Bullet-Sniper Storm

The Queen of dancehall Lady Squanda never fails to deliver as she walked away with the best female artist award for the second year in a row. Her unique voice and style just make us fall in love with her and the award is testimony to her ability to move and entertain the public.

Tocky Vibes’s ‘Mhai’ on the other hand made it to the song of the year and that is testimony to the good year that Tocky had last year. “Mhai” is the song that put Tocky on the map and earned him recognition from people.

“Babi remusoja” hit maker Sniper Storm made it once again to the top by getting an award for best album and the award is testimony to the fact that he still continues to save/entertain well.

 

Winky D-www.herald.co.zw

Tocky Vibes-www.newsday.co.zw

The sounds of Mbira: Chiwoniso Maraire and Stella Chiweshe

Mbira music has become more than just traditional music over the years but has become more refined with a modern feel that has left society nodding in appreciation. Over the years the queens of mbira music namely the late Chiwoniso Maraire and Mbuya Stella Chiweshe have oriented us into this genre of music and made us appreciate its feel and style.

Stella Chiweshe remains one of the most celebrated women mbira players and her popular song “Chave Chimurenga”revolutionized and took mbira music to a whole new level in post independent Zimbabwe. Chiweshe brought in a contemporary feel to the mbira music by a combination of steel drums, electrical guitar, bass and most notable the marimba (archive.rockpaperscissors.biz/stellachiweshe). And all these instruments added a contemporary feel to the music.

ChiwonisoMaraire, on the other hand was also one of the influential mbira musicians in Zimbabwe and left a mark with her heart felt music. She was a singer, song writer and exponent of Zimbabwean mbira music (en.wikipedia.org/Chiwoniso Maraire).Maraire is well known for her eminent albums which include Ancient voices (1998), Timeliness (2004), and rebel woman (2008). Chiwoniso’s music was appreciated not only in Zimbabwe but beyond boarders as well. She was honored by Radio France (Decouverte Afrique) for her debut album Ancient Voices 1998 and the album entered the world music charts Europe three times.

Mbira music is a well appreciated genre of music in Zimbabwe and it has grown over the years to be known established element in the music industry through Maraire and Chiweshe among others.

Chiwoniso Maraire-www.herald .co.zw

Stella Chiweshe-www.zambuko.com