17 years after it was first recorded, Chimanimani, a joint project by poet Chirikure Chirikure and the late mbira maestro Chiwoniso Maraire, will finally see the light.
The album is set to be launched Saturday, 28 June at Theatre In the Park in Harare, an event that will be graced by performances from Chirikure Chirikure, Chengeto Maraire-Brown, Okay Machisa and Hope Masike.
Recorded in 2008, Chimanimani is the sole album that the two artists managed to record together. The project showcases the defining music pieces of this formidable duet. The album is a noteworthy contemporary production, and an archival treasure that is expected to firmly stand the test of time.
The album was made possible through the work of legendary keyboardist and producer Keith Farquharson as well as Bridgenorth Music.
"The songs had already been mixed by Tamie Bimha in 2008, so they were in pretty good shape. I only had the stereo mixes to work with, not the individual instruments and voices," shared Keith Farquharson.
"There were a few instances where I felt that Chiwoniso’s vocal was a bit low, so I had to use a few tricks to bring that out a bit more. So, the artistic intent remained pretty much intact."
The poet Chirikure Chirikure and musician Chiwoniso Mararire performed together as a duet for several years until the passing on of Chiwoniso in 2013. The duet blended their art forms in a natural, smooth, and seamless way, coming up with pieces that would defy classification. The duet graced several stages in Zimbabwe and across the globe, to the appreciation of the audiences.
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