Ammara: Zim’s pop goddess

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It took me five years before I could give any respect to Jah Prayzah’s music. It was only after his 2013 hit Tsviriyo that I began to take notice. The rest is now history.

In the groove with Fred Zindi

It took me five years before I could give any respect to Jah Prayzah’s music. It was only after his 2013 hit Tsviriyo that I began to take notice. The rest is now history.

It takes me a long time to warm up to any new music artiste. I have to be convinced first that he or she is not a fly-by-night artiste or a one-hit wonder. That is the case with me and Ammara Brown.

I first met Ammara 16 years ago, in 2003, when she was a backing vocalist for her father’s band, The Storm, at a government-organised bira at Rufaro Stadium. I did not think much of her as I thought it was just Andy Brown trying to promote his daughter.

However, years later, after listening to Kure Kure, a collaboration with Jah Prayzah, despite the song being a monster hit, I thought that was the end of Ammara. But how wrong I was as Ammara’s musical heritage provided her with an excellent vocal performance in another collaboration with Tytan when she sang:

Baby handizi chimoko Ndiri mukadzi chaiye Ndasiyana nezvipoko Ndine rudo rwunotapira Kunge rwabva mumukoko.

I remember saying to myself: “This woman is a beast!” I could predict that she would become a real monster nationally and internationally in five years’ time. Now I believe she is definitely going to raise the Zimbabwe flag high up on the world map.

In 2017 she came up with yet another monster hit with a pulsating rhythm on another collaboration with Ex Q titled Bhachura, and I was forced to take notice.

When asked about how she became an international artiste, Ammara said her appearance on Idols, a talent identification show, aired on M-Net, put her in the limelight and effectively kick-started her music career.

“Idols was one of the most defining points in my professional career on several fronts. At the time [when she competed], I had a fear of cameras, but through the coaching I received on the show, I learnt to manage this fear,” said Ammara.

“I also learnt to ask for help and renewed my faith in God and today, I’m an award-winning artiste!”

The Akiliz hit-maker, who was 19 then, recalled how she developed ulcers before she performed at the Idols top six finals.

Ammara, together with other Zimbabweans Adeona Maboreke and Mkhululi Bhebhe, impressed on the reality show that was held in Nairobi, Kenya, as they made the top six, putting a lot of spotlight on Zimbabwe.

Since appearing on the Idols stage, Ammara has developed rapidly into a multi-award-winning singer, songwriter instrumentalist, dancer actress, brand ambassador and philanthropist.

She has shared the stage with great artistes such as Oliver Mtukudzi, Kirk Franklin, Hugh Masekela, P-Square, Lira and Nigeria’s Mr Eazi.

Even though most of her hits such as Hustlers’ Yoga with Tehn Diamond, are created through collaborations, Ammara in her own right deserves recognition. She is one child of a famous artiste who does not ride on the coat-tails of her late father as she hardly depends on Andy Brown songs to be successful.

Ammara was born in Harare. She started her music career in the 1990s, debuting in a television commercial together with Mtukudzi. Her musical career began at the age of 13 when she made her first demo song for her parents and joined her father’s band, The Storm, in 2003 as a backing vocalist.

Ammara Nury Brown was born on September 6, 1988 to Andy Brown and Soraya Khan in Harare, Zimbabwe. (A lot of people mistakenly think that Ammara is the daughter of Andy Brown and Chiwoniso Maraire. Chiwoniso had Chengeto and the late Chiedza with Andy Brown). Ammara is the second born of her father’s 10 children and first between her mom and dad. Her parents divorced in 1994, after which she moved with her mother to the United States at age of 10 for four years. She studied at Alameda High School in California between 2002 and 2003. On her return to Zimbabwe she studied at Westridge High School where she competed her high schooling.

Ammara was thrust into the music field as early as three years old. Her first taste of fame came in the form of an Olivine cooking oil TV commercial in 1997 where the more popular Mtukudzi would sing the jingle for the advert that would be remembered many years later. At age 9, Brown learnt how to play the mbira and has experience in playing the piano as well.

At age 13, she was a member of the Martin Luther King Choir and later went on to produce her first demo song which she gave to her parents. On hearing how talented she was, Andy Brown broke down in tears. She would later be allowed to join her father’s musical band, at the age of 15.

In 2004, Ammara won the regional Music Crossroads, while later going on to study music at the College of Performing Arts (COPA) and attaining honours with distinctions.

During the 2013 edition of the Lion Lager Beer Festival attended by Nigerian singer D’banj, Ammara made a surprise appearance on stage and twerked for D’banj. Music fans who had attended the show thought that Ammara in her own league as a Zimbabwean superstar should not have debased herself to that extent of posing as a cheap dancer for D’banj.

In June 2014, she caused a stir following the release of her album cover which accompanied her single titled Crucify Me. The album cover depicted a creature like a woman crucified on a cross and the head of a crow or an eagle on a cross. This garnered criticism from religious fanatics who argued that she was mimicking the crucifixion of Jesus. Some even labelled her as a Satanist. Ammara argued that the song together with the album cover was all about a woman cheating on a man without any religious connotations.

Being the daughter of a Zimbabwean music legend, Ammara will always be compared to the late great Andy Brown, even though she prefers to sing a fusion of Afro/pop music. She has performed backing vocals to her father’s band, The Storm, and has made her own performances without reference to her father’s music. I only heard her once singing Mapurisa after a special request from a fan.

Under the charismatic management of Tsungi Zvobgo, Ammara also performed before Malawian presidents Bingu Wa Mutharika and Joyce Banda.

Apart from Ammara, under her New Sofala Entertainment, Zvobgo also worked with several artistes, including Willom Tight, Sebede, hip-hop singer Tehn Diamond, the late Taku Mafika and Chiwoniso Maraire.

In 2018, I was surprised to see a Facebook post from Tsungi Zvobgo, who had been managing Ammara since 2012, announcing that the two had parted ways. It read something like this:

“I have had an incredible five years working with Ammara Brown. We have grown together, defining what has become one of the most important artistic brands in the country. But time has come for me to move on to new challenges and emerging opportunities. I do wish Ammara all the best and I have no doubt she will conquer the world. I will always be open to giving her any sort of assistance I can… as her sister and part of the ever-growing army of Ammartians,” read the post.

“In light of the above, I would like to introduce Don Khabana of OCM Management based in Johannesburg. Don will be replacing me to spearhead Ammara’s management team going forward.”

Ammara then made the decisive move to South Africa after this announcement.

Speculation was that she had allegedly moved in with her son’s father, Darim, in South Africa, after splitting up with Roki in Zimbabwe.

On June 6, three weeks ago, Ammara was back in Zimbabwe when she joined forces as a supporting act with another female musician Gemma Griffiths at The Venue in Avondale, Harare, in a concert titled The Tamy Experience which was organised by teenage music sensation Thamsanqa “Tammy” Moyo famous for the song Ndibereke.

I would have thought that Ammara being the older and more experienced musician would have headlined the show. Witnesses, however, claim that Ammara stole the limelight at this event.

Now what does the future hold for Ammara? Andy Brown must be a happy camper wherever he is as Ammara promises to scale greater heights.

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