Friday, 6 March 2015

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

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