Chiwoniso Maraire (R.I.P)
Chiwoniso Maraire (5 March 1976 – 24 July 2013) was a Zimbabwean singer, songwriter, and exponent of Zimbabwean mbiramusic.
She was the daughter of Zimbabwean Mbira Master and teacher Dumisani Maraire (and former officer in the Zimbabwe Ministry of Sports and Culture in the early 1980s).
Describing the mbira, an instrument traditionally used by male musicians, she said, “it is like a large xylophone. It is everywhere in Africa under different names: sanza, kalimba, etc. For us in Zimbabwe it is the name for many string instruments. There are many kinds of mbiras. The one that I play is called the nyunga nyunga, which means sparkle-sparkle.”
Chiwoniso was honored by Radio France International for the Decouvertes Award for her first album, Ancient Voices (1998), and was nominated for the Kora Awards in the category of Best Female Voice of Africa in 1999.