SOME musicians are put into boxes by the expectations of the industry, but that doesn't mean they have to stay there. Tariro 'neGitare' Chaniwa an acclaimed musician from Zimbabwe, has created a unique sound that defies categorization.
Some may label her music as "Afro-Jazz," but she has chosen to embrace a broader label of "Afro-Fusion." This term more accurately reflects the diverse influences that inform her music, which include an original mix of indigenous African sounds and contemporary urban styles with a strong Afro-Soul feel.
Tariro started playing the guitar in high school, at the age of 13. She has since shared the stage with some of Zimbabwe's finest musicians. She is an avid collaborator with notable South African, German, American, and UK artists and groups.
Tariro holds a diploma in personnel management, an Honors Degree in Sociology and Gender studies and a Master of Science in Development. She spoke to Standard Style about her life in the showbiz industry saying she is an entrepreneur who runs TNG Music (arts, events and promotions) and Magitare Africa Trust (arts and culture development).
How it started
“Tariro NeGitare is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. I started playing the guitar when I was 13 really as a hobby at school. There was a lady called Sister Elizabeth, who was heading the music department and she asked for some people to come through and join the guitar choir which was not the coolest thing at that time,” she said.
“So we had a guitar at home and my elder brother Manfred Chaniwa also played the instrument. So I decided to learn; that’s literally how it started. After high school I worked in the corporate sector and a friend of mine, Charmaine Chitate invited me to a Sisters Open Mic. The time that I went, it happened to be the first anniversary of the Sisters Open Mic and I met up with the likes of Busi Ncube, Dudu Manhenga, Edith Weutonga and that’s literally how my career started.”
What's in the name "NeGitare"?
- UK tour big breakthrough for Feli Nandi
- Amuli now full-time traditional healer
- Mhofela finally drops album
- Muchemwa, Dino Mudondo join forces
Keep Reading
“I think the name itself, it’s self-explanatory - Tariro NeGitare ( Tariro and the guitar). I think just also Tariro is such a popular name and I think just to differentiate it from any other Tariro, is l do play the guitar and when it’s in relation to music, I am always with my guitar. So I think it was appropriate to call myself Tariro NeGitare.”
Favorite guitarists
“I enjoy so many guitarists, the late Dr. Oliver Mutukudzi, Steve Chikoti, Steve Makondi, the late Sarah Tavara, Tracey Chapman, Indie Arie, Louren Hill. I listen to a wide variety, Selalu Selotta, Jimmy Dludlu, Loui Mhlanga, Norman Masamba, Josh Megg.
“I listen to a lot of guitarists, I am not too limited in style as well. l listen to a variety of styles so I can't say I have one specific genre I listen to … but I try to listen to different genres to get a different view as well.”
Any training
“The only training that l have is the training I got in high school from Sister Elizabeth. But I have got no formal qualification for music, I mean, these days you just go on YouTube and learn a new skill, a new code, a new progression, a new scale, that’s pretty much how I learnt. I play an acoustic guitar. Godin nylon string and Ibanez steel string are what I currently personally use.”
Best moments
“I have so many moments, but I think my highlights in my career have been my inaugural Germany tour which was 22 shows in three weeks. That opened up my mind to the possibilities, to what excellence looks like and how a functioning industry looks like,” she said.
“I have tried to sort of set that precedent in my career as well and to emulate what I learnt on that tour. I haven’t had a similar experience since I had that time but I really value that time that I had in Germany with a band called Jamaram.”
I am an Afro-Fusion artiste
“So, a lot of people mistake my music for Afro-Jazz and I don’t think people understand what Jazz music really is. Jazz is characterised by complex harmonies, some syncopated rhythms and a heavy emphasis on improversation which is not what I do. I play a fusion of many genres so it’s an Afro-Fusion. But I dont think a lot of people understand what Afro-Jazz is, l am not an Afro-Jazz artiste, I am an Afro-Fusion artiste and more recently contemporary gospel. Gospel being the message but I am still Afro-Fusion sound.”
Other projects
“I am involved in events and festivals. I am the manager for the Stanbic Jacaranda Music festival. I also consult for the organisation called The Oasis in Bulawayo, which is a creators hub for artistes, innovators and entrepreneurs.
“I am heavily involved in community arts practice, I do a lot of work in the communities using music as a tool to engage and as a tool to create avenues for development. That’s pretty much what I do.”
