Stella Chiweshe

"quite a radical record for 1987, and took her to a different place. It was a jump forward for Stella, showing what might be achieved beyond Zimbabwe"

"She became a member of the National Dance Company of Zimbabwe as Mbira soloist, actress and dancer. Performed in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia. India, China and Korea. She earned great success in a film where she played the role of Ambuya Nehanda - the national heroine of Zimbabwe, who was killed in 1896 by the colonial government. Solo tours in Germany, Great Britain, Italy, India, China, Korea, and concerts with her late brother Elfigio Chiweshe1985Tour throughout Europe with her daughter Virginia Mukwesha."

"she took her role very seriously. A lot of things came to her in dreams or from the spirit world"

"When Chiweshe was first called to the mbira, Zimbabwe was still Rhodesia, and neither the racist settler-colonialist government nor the Christian church would allow such dangerous tools in the hands of the people. The mbira, along with all traditional elements of Shona culture, was banned."

"Played in forbidden spiritual ceremonies under the danger of imprisonment through the colonial government before independence 1974, first recordings of her compositions with Teal Record Company of which her first single Kasahwa went gold."

"All the experience that I get through my travels with music, I would like to share it with the youth, with school children and with older people, to give back what I have experienced in my lifetime."