Stella Chiweshe has carried Zimbabwe’s traditional Shona repertoire onto global stages by pairing her gliding vocals with the mbira, a thumb piano whose metal tines are anchored in wood. Her broadest exposure came in 1997, when she shared the Global Diva tour with Peruvian vocalist Susana Baca and Tex-Mex singer-guitarist Tish Hinojosa.
Although few women have taken up the mbira, Chiweshe learned the instrument from her mother’s uncle sometime between 1963 and 1964. Because she lacked her own mbira when she wished to cut her first single in 1974, she had to borrow one; more than twenty singles followed over the next twenty years. In addition to solo appearances she works with the Stella Chiweshe Mbira Trio and the Earthquake Band.
World Music: The Rough Guide notes that she “has provoked some criticism for her avant garde mixture of sacred and commercial music, a controversal issue in a country where music is so close to the spiritual centre of life.” While she maintains a partial residence in Germany, most of her performances take place beyond Zimbabwe. A skilled actress and dancer as well, Chiweshe belongs to the National Dance Company Of Zimbabwe and is recognized for her depiction of the national heroine Mbuyo Nehanda.
