Mbuya Madhuve to be remembered

Standard Style
A galaxy of musicians will on Saturday converge at Usahwira Bar in Highfield’s Cherima section to celebrate the life of the late mbira player Edna Chizema, otherwise known as Mbuya Madhuve, who died in Harare in June 2009.

A galaxy of musicians will on Saturday converge at Usahwira Bar in Highfield’s Cherima section to celebrate the life of the late mbira player Edna Chizema, otherwise known as Mbuya Madhuve, who died in Harare in June 2009.

By Style Reporter

The gig — dubbed Mbuya Madhuve Bira — kicks off at 2pm until the following morning.

The legendary singer, famed for the song Ndega Ndega, was buried at her rural home in Guruve. She had released three albums, namely Kuvengana Ndekwenyu, Nzara Yandabva Nayo and Musha Unodyiwa.

Event organiser Sasha, a niece of the late mbira queen, told The Standard Style on Friday that a number of musicians, including Progress Chipfumo, Sulumani Chimbetu, Baba Harare and Diana Samkange, would be part of the celebrations.

“We will be celebrating the life of a great musician, Mbuya Madhuve, who passed on in 2009, at Usahwira Bar in Highfield on Saturday,” Sasha said.

“As musicians, some who happened to have learnt the ropes of the trade under her tutelage, we saw it fit to celebrate Mbuya Madhuve and keep her legacy alive.”

Sasha said the celebrations would start on Friday with a family gathering at Mbuya Madhuve’s home in Cherima, Highfield, followed by a music gig featuring upcoming and veteran musicians.

Other musicians expected to serenade fans include Allan Chimbetu, Potifa Mopo, Faheem Somanje, Raymond Majongwe, Tete Pipilo, Wanai, Tendai Chimombe, Mama Rachie, Uhuru Tribe, Madiz, Ammie Jamanda and Sister Fox, among others.

“It will be a potpourri of events on the two nights as we celebrate Mbuya Madhuve’s life in music. She was a mentor to a number of musicians, including myself,” she said.

“From that day I will change my stage name to VaMadhuve as we try to keep our late mbuya’s legacy alive. We will play her music on the day and before she died she had composed many songs, which I will record in future.”

Sasha, who fronts the group Talking Guitars and is a former backing vocalist at Chipfumo’s Sound of Motherland, invited music lovers to come for a treat.

“We will have diverse music tastes, so fans should come because they are all catered for,” she said.

Sasha said they had received a lot of support from Usahwira Bar, who are bankrolling the Mbuya Madhuve Bira.

“It’s not the bira alone, but they are now supporting musicians every week. starting on Saturday [yesterday], they will host Chipfumo, next Saturday it’s the bira and on October 26 it will be a divas concert,” she said.