<
https://theconversation.com/stella-chiweshe-zimbabwes-mbira-queen-rebel-music-star-and-pioneer-198421>
"Stella Rambisai Chiweshe, affectionately known in Zimbabwe as “the queen of
mbira” or “Ambuya (grandmother) Chiweshe”, passed away on 20 January 2023.
Chiweshe was born in July 1946 in the rural area of Mhondoro in the Mashonaland
province of northern Zimbabwe. She began playing the mbira, an ancient thumb
piano, in the early 1960s. At the time she was reproached by both men and women
because she had dared to play an instrument that was ordinarily played by men.
Chiweshe was not only a singer, songwriter and musician who performed
extensively across Africa, Europe and the US. She was also a cultural activist,
a pioneering woman and an educator. She founded the Chivanhu Centre in
Zimbabwe, home to the preservation of traditional music and culture.
Chivanhu is a Shona word for humanity. One of her goals was to ensure that the
mbira continued to be the heartbeat of Zimbabwe’s people. As the African adage
goes: “When an old person dies, a library burns to the ground.” Her death is
indeed a great loss to the country. "
RIP,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
