Piranha’s first recording artist ever - Stella Rambisai Chiweshe celebrates a milestone birthday!

She is a critical eyewitness to the times they are a-changin': From working as a maid in a colonial household to being the undisputed queen of the Zimbabwean mbira – Stella Chiweshe stands as one of the most enduring and successful women activists in African music, with a plethora of compellingly enchanting music both played and recorded. Stella has been the first female artist to gain prestige and have been honoured with recognition in this music tradition dominated by men.

Digging deep in our archive we found some unreleased moving pictures from the time when we first met each other at a petrol station in the Zimbabwean hinterland, her playing mbira while waiting to fill up the car.

The soundtrack comes from ‘Ambuya’, her first album for Piranha in 1987, produced by Ben Mandelson. Enjoy listening to 'Sarura Wako’, one of Stella's classic titles that are now played again by the DJs for that crossover post-punk / disco / Afro hipster crowd in the London clubs and beyond.

Piranha celebrates this occasion by offering you a Limited Edition of Stella Chiweshe's original LPs. Also back on stock is her Double Check combi pack of her classic hits CD together with a bonus CD of Stella’s timeless trance tunes - take a look at our special offers in the Piranha Shop, as follows:

1 LP - 15 Euro
3 LPs - 35 Euro
2CD 'Double Check' - 12 Euro

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