With a bold, confident unique voice and a body of work boasting some of the jazzy and Afro-beat upbeat songs, I listened to Raven Duchess (RD) performing at the Alliance de Francais venue recently and made up my mind that this was a star in the making. I was determined to know more about her.
So I made an appointment for a compelling interview with her, and this is what I, Fred Zindi (FZ) got:
(FZ) For a Shona speaking Zimbabwean, how did the name Raven Duchess come about?
(RD) The raven bird (gunguwo in Shona) symbolises spiritual insight and is said to be a messenger between the physical realm and the spiritual realm .I am a storyteller whose music has soothing energy for the soul. Duchess came from the fact that I am a descendant of a royal family.
(FZ) What is your real birth name?
(RD) My birth name is Ruvimbo Mapanda.
(FZ) Where and when were you born?
(RD) I was born in the city of Harare in Zimbabwe on November 17, 1988.
- Raven Duchess: The rising star
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(FZ) Where did you go to school? Briefly elaborate on your education life and how you ended up in the entertainment industry:
(RD) My very first encounter with anything to do with the entertainment industry was when I was at Blakiston Primary School.
I participated in the allied arts poetry competitions. I was selected to present a gift as an aspiring writer to world renowned Malawian writer and poet Jack Mapanje when he visited Zimbabwe during the Book Fair in 1995. I was 7 years old. My 5th grade teacher identified me and encouraged me to do public speaking, which has been one of the key elements of storytelling during my performance. After I finished school at Girls High School and went on to college, my accounts teacher wanted me to pursue accountancy, but my heart was not set on this path. I decided to venture into music as my soul kept pulling me towards this path.
I manage myself and this background has helped me manage the brand Raven Duchess as a business woman and band leader.
The roots of public speaking from a young age got me to represent Zimbabwe at the Channel O music business panel discussion in Durban South Africa when I performed at the Music Imbizo.
(FZ) When and where did your love for music originate?
(RD) The love of music is an organic and hereditary trait as I was born with the gift. Music is a calling and it resonates with my purpose as a storyteller. I am a self-taught Mezzo-soprano who plays mbira, marimba percussion, producer and songwriter. This factor makes my music compositions different from most of my Zimbabwean peers in the music industry.
(FZ) Which instruments do you play and do you have a favourite?
(RD) My favourite instrument is percussion because every time I travel around the world people are astonished to hear the organic sound of the maracas. I do appreciate mbira and have recently started playing it more for solo performances.
(FZ) That reminds me of a situation years ago when I was the chairman at the Zimbabwe College of Music. We had a policy which stipulated that every student who enrolled with us must learn to play at least three instruments of their choice. We had piano, guitar, oboe, drums, mbira, marimba, violin, cello, saxophone, trumpet, double-bass and a variety of other instruments. This girl decided she would learn to play congas, a triangle and hosho which are all percussion instruments that do not require tuning at all. She even said that she could add a fourth instrument, which was a cowbell. We all thought it was a joke. However, in Raven Duchess' case, we must give her credit for learning and being able to play mbira.
(FZ) Which of your songs has been a big hit?
(RD) Wakauya Wega one of my first songs from my first album entitled Ethno Vibes got a huge international response and got me international festival slots.
Zvichanaka from my second album entitled Folklore featuring South African trumpet player Lwanda Gogwana and South African bassist Gally Ngoveni got great reviews and slots in South Africa when I went on tour. Currently my new album entitled Indigo has Sunshine Vibes featuring award winning Zimbabwean Hip Hop artists Dough Major and R. Peels is trending on Star FM radio .
(FZ) You have toured globally and we would love to hear some of the highlights e.g. at Afro Fest Toronto in Canada, in Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi and at Hifa.
(RD) Touring can take a toll on musicians so I have learned the art of pacing myself to endure the jet leg issues, rehearsals with local bands that I collaborate with and making time to deliver a stellar performance. I was honoured to have been one of the Zimbabwean musicians selected to represent our country for all these festivals out of thousands of applicants. I had the opportunity in South Africa to perform at the late Nelson Mandela’s residence, the Sanctuary Mandela. I got a standing ovation and loved how the audience from every country would sing along to my songs in Shona. It demystifies the narrative that internationally people might not like native dialects like Shona. Music is a universal language, which resonates with our souls regardless of what language the musician is singing in.
At the Channel O Music Imbizo festival in Durban South Africa I was part of the music business panel discussion which touched topics including music business and crafting a sustainable career in the music industry. I had the honours of collaborating with the Malawian dancehall artist Chizmo Njuchi for my UMP Malawi festival performance in Mangochi. My very first time collaborating with a dancehall musician which inspired me to keep diversifying my sound in order to cater to a world wide audience. All the festivals gave me an opportunity to showcase my talent and share my music with the world. I aspire to inspire and keep sharing our Zimbabwean music worldwide. I am grateful for Povo Africa , Music in Africa and sound connects for selecting me as a mentor for female musicians with disabilities under the Musicable project .
(FZ) You have done a collaboration with one of my favourite artistes, Louis Mhlanga, could you let me know how this came about and how it went?
(RD) When I was in South Africa I got to an interview at SABC radio’s SaFM and Louis Mhlanga was one of the musicians I had always wanted to collaborate with. I spoke these words into existence . I reached out to him and we met up for coffee in the bustling city of Johannesburg to discuss the collaboration. He loved the idea and the song Dzviva reNjuzu came to life . I produced this song and I was honoured that he could trust in my production skills . A huge thank you to Boy Tricky for mixing and mastering all my albums. The song is a poetic interpretation of how people regardless of race or ethnicity perceive the mystical mermaid .
(FZ) You have also been involved with Mental Health issues, tell me a bit more about it.
(RD) With the worldwide devastating effects of drug and alcohol abuse we have rising cases of suicide. I believe taking care of our mental health is vital for us to have a healthy lifestyle. I have been a mentor for female musicians living with disabilities and advocating through my music on how we should take care of our mental health. I welcome any organisations that deal with these issues and would definitely love to collaborate with them.
(FZ) Nice talking to you. Wish you all the best in your career.
