Chimurenga singer basks in Zima glory
CHINA-BASED Chimurenga musician Whitney “Brity Yonly” Matiyanga is basking in glory after bagging her maiden award at the just-ended Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima).
The 27-year-old scooped the Best Traditional Folk (Chinyakare/Chimurenga) category, outwitting other nominees, including Vimbai Zimuto, Terrence Kwenda and Fusion 5 Mangwiro.
In an interview, she said: “This has raised my confidence after I won against fellow musicians; Vimbai, Terrence and Fusion 5 Mangwiro.
“It’s something that you have to be proud of and this is a lifetime achievement and a defining moment for my musical career.
“Thank you for believing in my dream and I had a dream to do better. I am just a ghetto kid trying to chase my dreams, whilst promoting my culture and Ubuntu/Hunhu/
Humanity. Mbira Kuvanhu.”
The talented songwriter and actress could not hide her elation after her debut album earned her a gong.
“I released a single track titled Vachabaiwa in August 2020, which earned me this precious gong.
“I dedicated (it) to the loyal fans, Tonderai Machadu my manager and the fellow nominees whose submissions made the race possible,” she said.
In another interview, Brity Yonly’s manager Tonderai Machadu said:
“The Zimbabwe Music Awards are the most top awards in respect of the music industry nationally and when you are honoured with one, it signifies some progress in your work.
“The artiste’s confidence got raised following this honour, prompting her to unleash more stuff from her bagful of music and is looking forward to continue shining on the international platforms, making Zimbabwe proud.
“The achievement has seen more musical promoters, most of them foreign based, engaging the artiste for international tours when the Covid-19 pandemic eases.
“The pandemic stalled the artiste from releasing her album last December as well as launching the Music for Girls and Women (MuFoGwo Festival) in Harare.”