The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Entertainment Correspondent
MUTARE’s own jewel, Charmaine Shamiso Mapimbiro, fondly known as Sha Sha, has scored big again after being selected to feature on Pandora’s Afrobeats Station.
The station celebrated Africa Day with a brand new mode called Africa’s Next, which was hosted by Notjustok.
The amapiano songstress hails from Mutare’s sprawling suburb of Dangamvura.
She joins a bubbling new generation of African artistes such as Fireboy DML, KiDi Gyakie, Omah Lay and Kelvyn Boy, among others, to have featured on Africa’s Next.
Sha Sha and the other artistes were on a billboard overlooking the New York Times Square in the United States of America on Monday.
The billboard was part of the campaign for the show.
The New York Times Square is a major entertainment and commercial centre in downtown Manhattan.
Different artistes and businesses are showcased daily at the Square’s wall-to-wall mega screen.
Read part of a statement published on Notjustok’s website: “Africa’s Next will spotlight a new generation of African artistes such as Fireboy DML, Sha Sha, KiDi, Gyakie, Joeboy, Kelvyn Boy, Omah Lay and others.
“These artistes reflect the interconnectivity between musicians working around the world today, who are borrowing from each other in totally surprising ways.
“This station will serve to showcase how African musicians continue to incorporate hip hop dancehall and R&B into their work, while simultaneously influencing global music trends with their home-grown approach to Afropop.”
Writing on her Twitter handle, Sha Sha said: “Mutare to the streets of New York. Super excited to be part of Africa’s Next Mode on Today’s Afro Beats hosted by @notjustok!”
Many of Sha Sha’s fans, including celebrated wheel spinner, DJ Stavo, and television personality Lee Ann Bernard posted congratulatory messages on her page.
“More often than not, we take some things for granted as a result of lack of appreciation. I grew up in the dusty streets of Mutare and to have you raise the flag of not just Mutare, but Dangamvura, makes me tearful and very emotional. This is not just your achievement, it is our achievement,” wrote Martin Chikwana.
Ben Masiya, another follower said, “Yes, that is what I am talking about. Straight outta Mutare”.
Sarah Dee, chairlady of Divas In Action, a group of Zimbabwean female artistes, said Sha Sha’s achievements are motivating other upcoming female artistes.
“This is yet another achievement from one of our own. We have always believed in ourselves and we are happy that she is raising the country’s flag high beyond the borders. This is encouraging us to work harder. More is yet to come from us and we want thank our fans for believing in the female artistes who are spending sleepless nights in the studios,” she said.
Last year, Sha Sha raised the country’s flag high after winning the Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards.
In 2019, she dropped her debut studio album, ‘Blossom’, which carries plug songs such as ‘Tender Love’, ‘Something About You’ and ‘Sing It Back’, among others.
Pandora Music is a subscription-based music streaming app while Notjustok is one of Africa’s biggest music publication platforms amplifying the African continent’s fast-paced music scene.
