The life of the legendary Chiwoniso Maraire

Biography

Born in 1976 in Olympia, Washington, where her father had moved his family, she spent the first seven years of her life in the US. 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.

In the early 1990s, when she was 15, she formed part of Afro-fusion hip-hop trio A Peace of Ebony, which “was perhaps the first group to fuse mbira with contemporary beats”. 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 and she 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, America, 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. She made her last recording in March 2013, and “Zvichapera”, a cover of Thomas Mapfumo’s song, was released posthumously in 2015.

Maraire died on 24 July 2013 at South Medical Hospital in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, aged 37. According to her manager Cosmas Zamangwe, she had been admitted to hospital 10 days earlier suffering from chest pains. 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 (Chiedza died on 12 September 2015). She was buried at her rural home in Chakohwa village in Mutambara.

On September 12, 2015, the younger of her daughters, 15-year-old Chiedza Brown, committed suicide. Chiedza was also a musician in the Mbira tradition like her mother and an accomplished singer. The last surviving member of Mariaire’s family with Andy Brown is her daughter, Chengeto, although Andy Brown had other children, the half-siblings of Maraire’s daughters. 

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. The album entered the World Music Charts Europe three times.

Discography

Albums

A Piece of Ebony: From the Native Tongue (1992)

Ancient Voices (1998)

Chiwoniso & Vibe Culture: Timeless (2004)

The Collaboration: Hupenyu Kumusha/Life at Home/Impilo Ekhaya. Volume 1 (2006)

Rebel Woman (2008)

Singles

“Zvichapera” (released posthumously 2015)

Spurious/Untraced[edit]“Woman of the Well”

“Return Great Spirit” (alternative version to the one on Timeless)

Also appears on[edit]Andy Brown and The Storm: Hondo Ye Sadza (2000)

Joy Denalane: Mamani (2002)

Andy Brown and The Storm: Passage of Time (2003)

Tanyaradzwa (soundtrack, 2006)

Trio Ivoire: Across the Ocean (2009)

With Mari Boine and others: Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace – The Nobel Peace Prize 100 years (2010)

Max Wild: Tamba (2010)

Antonio Forcione: Sketches of Africa (2012)

Featured by

Outspoke Tha Humble Neophyte: “The Heavens And The Skies”

Jah Prayzah: “Dande”

Compilations

Women Care (2005) – “African Woman”, “A Mother To Them All (African Woman 2)”, “A Song For A Modern Woman”

Putumayo Kids: African Dreamland (2008) – “Usacheme”

Hear Globally: A Cumbancha Collection (2009) – “Vanorapa”, “Woman of the Well”

Listen To The Banned (2010) – “Rebel Woman”

Positive Generation (2011)- “Galgal Hatzila (The Lifeline)” with David Broza and the Jimila Choir