BY STYLE REPORTER
A video of the song dedicated to Mbuya Nehanda by Afro-fusion musician Sasha “Amadhuve” Lishomwa will start shooting this week after the musician hogged the limelight at the unveiling of the statue of the late spirit medium in Harare last week.
Amadhuve Sasha was among a number of entertainers at the unveiling of the Mbuya Nehanda statue, on Africa Day at an event officiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
A few days before the unveiling ceremony, Amadhuve Sasha had given a top-drawer performance at the official opening of the Culture Week in Gokwe.
Mnangagwa was also the guest of honour at the event that was presided over by Chief Njelele.
The former dancer and backing vocalist at Progress Chipfumo’s Sound of Motherland told Standard Style that it was a great honour to perform at events of such a magnitude.
“I feel greatly honoured and humbled to have been considered for performing at the official opening of this year’s Culture Week held in Gokwe South at Mambo Njelele’s shrine on May 21 and also at the unveiling of the Mbuya Nehanda statue, which coincided with Africa Day,” Amadhuve Sasha said.
“It is exciting to be called to perform at cultural events, especially when you do cultural activities and being a cultural influencer. To perform in front of 1 000 people in a restaurant or night club or wedding or any musical platform is good and really feels good for any artiste, but getting a chance to perform in front of madzimambo [chiefs] and top government officials, including the president and foreign diplomats, is the real deal. ”
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The pint-sized mbira queen said it had been her desire to promote the country’s traditional values through music, thanks to a movement called Bira Ramadzisahwira led by Machembere Nyasha, who facilitated Amadhuve Sasha’s performances.
“It’s always fulfilling to do what you desire most. Being able to express my cultural and traditional values at such big stages means our culture is still alive and I am proud to be part of such a great movement,” she said.
“A new movement called Bira Ramadzisahwira founded by Machembere Nyasha recently appointed me their brand ambassador and I am excited about it. The management of this cultural movement accompanied me to both events.
“I want to encourage the youth to follow our Zimbabwean cultural norms and traditions as this is the basis of true self-belief and motivation. The youth need to be taught who they are and where they are coming from as a people. ”
The musician, who is a protégé and niece of the late mbira musician Edna Chizema, aka Mbuya Madhuve, singled out a song dedicated to Mbuya Nehanda as having stolen the limelight at both events.
“We played the song Nehanda and it proved to be the most popular as it kept delegates on their feet at both events,” Amadhuve Sasha said.
“After realising the popularity of the song, we decided to do visuals for the song and the shooting starts on Wednesday courtesy of Bira Remadzisahwira.”
She said the song Nehanda is on her forthcoming album, but she had been compelled by recent events to release the single and its video.
