HARARE - It takes a true woman to stand up and be heard the way Chiwoniso Maraire does. Her voice speaks to the hardest hearts, her style is uniquely alluring and her presentations are heartfelt. I am like a mirror, she once declared. I basically sing about what I see happening in the world. If someone comes up to me in the street to ask for money, Ill sing about that. If people are jumping borders because their economic situation is too difficult, Ill sing about that. If the police are beating people up and intimidating them, Ill sing about that.
Her selflessness and bravery have won her the name Rebel Woman also the title of her 2008 international release.
Sister Chi, as she is affectionately known in music circles, has helped advocate for the rights of Zimbabwean women through her works with CARE and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
She has been fronting her acoustic group Chiwoniso and Vibe Culture for the past several years. From 2001 to 2004, she was also a core member of the multinational female band Women’s 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.
Her musical collaborations have included recording with Marie Boine, Brilliant, Kris Kristoffersen and Sinead O’Connor on a CD celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize Awards.
She composed and performed for the UNDP Africa 2015 song project Les Tams-Tams de l’Afrique alongside Salif Keita, Habib Koite (Mali), Ishmael Lo, Youssou Ndour, Manu Dibango, Baaba Maal (Senegal), Achieng Abura (Kenya), Saintrick and Koffi Olomide(Congo). She also contributed to the Women Care CD recorded last year.
Due to this, art critics and practitioners have created a Facebook page entitled Zimbabwe must honour Chiwoniso Maraire! as a constant reminder to the countrys arts authorities of the need to celebrate one of the greatest female voices in Zimbabwe.
Chiwoniso Maraire has been honoured in every country that she has performed in except her homeland, Zimbabwe, is it the carpenters son syndrome or what? Give credit where it is due! reads one Facebook comment posted by a concerned fan Tabaka Dube. – For feedback and future columns email yourwievs1@gmail.com
Post published in: Music