LAUNCH of
‘DESTINY’
On
Friday 30 May, the youngest mbira recording artist in Zimbabwe, the 13-year-old
TENDAI MAVENGENI, launches her debut album ‘DESTINY’ at Harare’s arts hub, the
Book Café.
The
six-track ‘traditional jazz’ album is a result of passion and discipline, along
with good guidance and mentoring of the teenage girl by several local musicians
and the full and unwavering support of her parents.
Her
music is influenced by a broad spectrum of traditional mbira and other music
styles she has encountered in her young life, and lyrics include social
concerns about the plight of children and how moral decay impacts negatively on
children, especially girl children. The
album comprises Tununurei, Spirit of My
Destiny, Wakaronga, Pfuma, Africa, and a bonus instrumental track.
Background
Born in
December 2000 in Harare, Tendai is a form one student with a passion for music -
particularly traditional music - which she grew up listening to. She started performing at pre-school; at
primary school her passion led her to start playing Mbira (Nhare) at the very
young age of 9, taught and mentored by respected mbira players Trymore “Guchi”
Jombo and Brezhnev Guveya. She went on
to she win a number of awards and medals at primary school level.
Today
Tendai is one of the finest young female Nhare Mbira players in the country. Tendai draws her
inspiration from famous Zimbabwean women mbira players Ambuya Stella Chiweshe and
the late Chiwoniso Maraire, and singers like Claire Nyakujara, to mention a
few.
Since
2012 Tendai has been a regular participant of Pamberi Trust’s Sistaz Open Mic
platform, which has significantly helped her by offering workshops and stage
performances which are of paramount importance in shaping her career.
She said, “The
first time I played for the public at Sistaz Open Mic, I felt great, although
nervous, but when I got into the music I didn’t feel nervous. Since then I participated quite often, my
nerves went away as I was getting used to stage performance. I got a lot of encouragement by other sisters
to keep working hard, and I’ve worked for about a year with a backing band to
get to this recording stage, and I’m so glad the day I had worked hard for has
finally come”.
Along
with appearances at Book Café, Tendai has performed at the 2012 Protest Arts
Festival, UZ World Theatre Day, Women Arts Festival, Zimpapers (Kwayedza)
Poetry Awards, Zimbabwe International Book Fair, Mbira Schools Festival, and
the Mbare Boys Scouts Festival.
Singer/songwriter Clare
Nyakujara, who has been one of her mentors said “Tendai is doing great. She still has a lot to learn and go through,
in terms of music, so this album launch is the start not the end. We still have a long walk. But she has been so easy to work with. Her lyrical content, brain, capacity of
thinking is greater than her age, you wouldn’t think it’s a 13-year old. I encourage her to keep looking forward, to grow,
and believe in herself. We’ll help her
to face any hiccups, but she should not be distracted, just look straight ahead
to the goal.”
Tendai’s first
goal was to make songs of her own then to grow and record. Her next goal is to grow in the music
industry in Zimbabwe and travel around the world. She said “I think I’ve got something to
share, and want my music to be listened to worldwide.”
On her Facebook
page artists from Zimbabwe and different parts of the world have made contact
and offered a lot of encouragement.
Family support is
everything for an artist of any age, and the supportive father who accompanies Tendai
to every show, Boniface Mavengeni identified from an early age that Tendai was ‘intelligent
and very musical’. He was encouraged by
her teacher’s comments after her first lesson.
“He said even he once ran away from mbira as a child because his fingers
were sore. He was very moved by Tendai asking
for a second lesson.”
Of possible
reservations about his daughter entering the music industry, Boniface said “Why
should I stop such a good thing? I have
always admired Dorothy Masuka, Miriam Makeba and other local women artists,
especially those who play instruments, who I feel have moved up a notch. In our
family, many aunts play music in church, and grandfather Mavengeni was a
mbira-player. It’s encouraging to find
it in our family in this generation. I
don’t see anything bad about girls going on stage, it is God-given, no one can
take it away. But where there is success
they must learn to keep their cool. I
always instill in her the need for professionalism.”
Tendai is grateful
for their support. “He’s been with me
since I started, up to now. My mum also
encourages me every day to keep working hard.
She’s happy that I’ve finished recording. I know that I’m lucky and I’m thankful.”
For other girls
who aspire to play music, Tendai says “I encourage other girls to keep working
hard, ‘cos success comes after working hard. They should also use platforms like Sistaz
Open Mic. It also depends on behaviour,
if you misbehave, there is no support.
If they have issues with their parents, I encourage them to let their
parents see they have great talent, until they say yes!”
Pamberi Trust’s
gender programme FLAME (Female Literary, Arts & Music Enterprise) stages
and manages the Sistaz Open Mic programme, which has contributed so much to
Tendai’s growth. Project officer
Batsirai Chigama, said “We have always acknowledged the importance of parental support especially to the girl child not only
in their academics but whatever it is they aspire for in life. It is no doubt that Tendai has come this far,
this fast because of the guidance and support she has enjoyed from her family
and as the F.L.A.M.E Project we applaud them.
We witnessed a tremendous improvement in execution on stage since
Tendai started coming to Sistaz Open Mic two years ago and this album is the
beginning of greater things to come from this determined young lady.”
CONTACT:
Boniface Mavengeni (0772 319 688)
