Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Stella Chiweshe (Zimbabwe) |
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Stella Chiweshe is the Mbira Queen of Zimbabwe.
The mbira, a thumb piano, made of 22 to 28 metal keys, mounted on wood and placed
inside a gourd as a means of resonator, is an integral part of Shona culture. It
is traditionally used during ceremonies as a medium to communicate with the spirit
of the ancestors. In traditional Shona songs, the ancestors are called upon and
are finally taking over the singing. Stella Chiweshe often does not remember what
has been sung through her. Stella Chiweshe started performing at these kind of ceremonies before Zimbabwe's independence. At daytime, she worked as a maid in a colonial household. In the early 1980s, she was invited to participate in the National Dance Company of Zimbabwe where she was a solo mbira player as well as singer and dancer. After a while, she decided to perform on her own, which was unseen before in Zimbabwe for a woman. |
Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
Double Check: Two Sides of Zimbabwe's Mbira Queen | 2006 | Piranha Records DCD-PIR1900 | CD 1: Trance Hits - New Tracks recorded in 2005 CD 2: Classic Hits - Celebrated Tracks |
Talking Mbira | 2002 | Piranha Records CD-PIR 1681 | |
Healing Tree: Best of Stella Chiweshe | 1997 | Shanachie Records | |
Shungu | 1994 | Piranha Records CD-PIR 47-2 | |
Kumusha | 1991 | Piranha Records CD-PIR 42 | |
Chisi | 1990 | Piranha Records CD-PIR 27 | |
Ambuya?/ Ndizvozvo | 1987 | Piranha Records CD-PIR 7 | Also on Globestyle ORB 029 (1988) |