Staff Writer
The National Arts Merit Awards through the Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation and the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe continue to celebrate some of the greatest musicians to ever live.
On Tuesday JCMC handed over a portrait of the Mbira Queen Chiwoniso Maraire to her daughter Chengeto Brown in honour of her work and service to the nation.
The portrait, done by Alfred Masunda and has a headline message which reads; MBIRA YEDU, OUR PRIDE.
On the day of the Awards show, which took place on the 26th of February 2022 the audience and Zimbabwe at large were treated to some Mbira performance by Millicent “Mimmie” Chigariro who sang the late Mbira Queen’s hits Ivai Nesu Mwari Baba and Vana Vanogwara.
Although she left us much too early, her career and music was impactful and helped immensely in putting Zimbabwean music and the Mbira instrument on the world map.
The Mbira rendition was also reached upon after recognizing how the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included the art of crafting and playing mbira on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
UNESCO noted that the art of crafting and playing mbira plays a key role in our community.
The 15th of March is a significant day to the Maraire and the Brown families as it is also the late Andy Brown’s Birthday meanwhile the 16th March 2022 will mark a decade since his death back in 2012.
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