The Return of The Queen

…as Queen Mashie launches fresh album

By Robert Mukondiwa

 Enigmatic contemporary afropop sensation and goddess of traditional contemporary music, Tatenda Sandra Mashiringo, popularly known as Queen Mashie, returns to Harare from her France base to launch a groundbreaking album entitled Time this Thursday (23^rd).

Aptly entitled Time, the eleven track album certainly spells out that this indeed is her time to be heard as it is laden with powerful tracks that are definitive, moving, hauntingly soulful as well as superbly didactic.

And in line with her stage name the album is a royal effort in the use of traditional instruments, particularly the Mbira.

In it, Queen Mashie hauntingly seems to snatch the mbira from the apparition of the late goddess of the instrument, Chiwoniso Maraire, taking over from where the late mbira queen left off as she proudly assumes the throne of Zimbabwe’s musical ancestry.

Speaking about her fresh album, Queen Mashie says it is a culmination of the tenets that describe her; hard work, energy, and tireless dedication.

“I sought to put together an album that would help me sell the Zimbabwean sound not only back home here in Zimbabwe but also all over the world and push a proud legacy of Zimbabwean music being able to crack the airwaves anywhere in the world,” she says.

And she has already begun doing that raising the Zimbabwean flag proudly amidst the French Tricolor in her new home in Europe.

Laden with tracks that explore traditional and intimate subjects like belonging, rape and abuse of women and girls and issues like jealousy amongst families, Queen Mashie has produced a gem of an album which no doubt will be amongst the premium picks of the urban adult contemporary releases of the ear.

“I am certain the album will resonate with the listeners as I have tried to incorporate feeling and discipline in the sound and the lyrics,” said Queen Mashie. Resume in the music industry after starting singing professionally in 2000

Queen Mashie has a hot resume in the music industry having worked with her late sibling And Brown after she started singing professionally in the year 2000.  Queen Mashie also performed at the SautiZaBuzara Festival 2008 with Afrodynamics, a composite of various musicians from different parts of the world (France, Mozambique, Senegal, Austria and Zimbabwe) She has also performed at Hifa 2014, Blankets and Wine in June 2012, Choices, Thursday Night Live, Chitenge and Wine Lusaka Zambia and Afro Sonido Manchester UK.

Mbijana Mbijana (pole pole, slow slow) comprises her original afro fusion composition in Shona, English and Swahili with a distinctly Mbira sweet melodies that defines her music, linguistic and cultural journey.