Anakazi Center

Zimbabwean Born Artist, Piwai on Voices of Anakazi

With certain artists, the craft runs so pure in the blood that simply bearing witness to their work has the power to transport you to another time and place. Piwai is such an artist. Her soulful voice and dynamic stage presence command attention while offering a transformational experience. Her passion for song, dance, and community is a gift to the world. Born in Zimbabwe, Piwai was surrounded by music from an early age. Her first influences include music from the Shona and Ndebele people of Zimbabwe, Suthu and Zulu tribes, and the Zimbabwean Catholic Church. She joined her first choir at the age of 10, wrote her first song at age of 13, and hasn’t stopped since. Piwai went on to study under renowned percussionists Yagbe Onilu and Butch Haynes, trained vocally at the Jazz School of Berkeley, and delved into the mbira—a traditional African instrument associated with profound spiritual union—with maestro Cosmas Magaya.

As an incredibly gifted songwriter, Piwai captures both the delicate and the difficult aspects of life. She fearlessly explores the wide realm of the human condition—from raising awareness about war to capturing the inner world of children. Her lyrics evoke a powerful healing force. A deep commitment to crossing borders and uniting cultures has broadened Piwai’s musical horizons to vast proportions. She taps into a variety of musical roots, drawing from an eclectic blend of rabi, jazz, blues, traditional folk and reggae. She flows easily from one genre to the next and one language to another, including English, Shona, French, Spanish, Lingala, Zulu, Xhosa, Swahili, Georgian, and Turkish Judeo Spanish.

Empowered by constant expression, Piwai’s creative gifts continue to expand. She began conducting workshops to facilitate dialogue between Christianity and African religions, with a book forthcoming. She also sponsors several orphanages in support of HIV orphans and victims of childhood molestation. She has worked alongside Makeda Dread at the WorldBeat Center in San Diego and the non-profit African Wellness Initiative alongside Angela Gora. She taught music to youth at the Center for World Music and The Young Musicians Academy. A Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, a Minor in Chemistry, a Master’s of Science in Analytical Chemistry, and several tennis scholarships round out this diversely talented being.

Unquestionably, music is an umbilical cord that connects Piwai’s insightful perspective to the universal pulse. She is inseparable from melody and movement; a vehicle for the healing and inspiring properties of sound. For Piwai, music is all-encompassing: “The sum total of my very existence and every action I make manifests in music—the rhythm of my life.”

African Turquoise

In early 2012, Piwai travelled to Zimbabwe to record her first album, “African Turquoise.” The album is written, composed, and produced by Piwai, in collaboration with James Buzuzi of Bongolove. It is a fascinating fusion of jazz and traditional African rhythms, including mbira and percussion from Jacob Mafuleni and John Mambira. Due for release in Fall 2012, “African Turquoise” is being launched alongside a non-profit for HIV orphans.

The album concept reflects that which is most sacred in Africa: the gift of life and its perpetual progression. True to form, Piwai’s songwriting prowess and percussive genius takes the listener on a journey: glimpse life through the eyes of children in war-torn Congo; walk the streets of Harare; bear witness to the slums of Soweto, India, and the favelas of Brazil; or play along the proverbial paths of Zimbabwean folklore.

“African Turquoise” brings a bold appreciation to the suffering of humanity while reinforcing the direct connection people have with the universe—empowering healing and evolution.

Musical Resume

She has performed vocals, dance, and percussion to the following:
Fafi aka 3percent (Zimbabwean Afrobeat)-lead vocals
Dashielle (Reggae)-vocals
Lindi Yeni & Kuumba House (Traditional South African)-lead narrative vocals/dance
Emman Legrand & Rhythmixx Band (Congolese Rumba and Soukouss)-vocals/dance
Shimita El Diego & Soukouss Stars (Congolese Soukouss)-vocals
Mano Black (Ivory Coast Coupe de Cale Fusion)-vocals
Maty Dollar (Ivory Coast Coupe de Cale Fusion)-vocals
Kelly Takunda Orphan (Oakland/Armenian and Zimbabwean Fusion)-vocals
Julia Chigamba & Chinyakare Dance Ensemble (Zimbabwean Traditional)-vocals/hosho
Speedy Beers & Full Energy (San Diego Rock Band)-vocals
Akaaya & Bolga Zoodoomah (Ghana Highlife)-vocals
Bateke Beat (Afrobeat, Latin, and Funk Fusion)-vocals
Zimbeat (Traditional Zimbabwean Afrobeat)-lead vocals/hosho
Forward Kwenda (Mbira)-hosho
Cosmas Magaya (Mbira)-hosho
Monette Marino-Keita (African and Latin)-mbira
Fish Tank Ensemble-vocals
Kwami & Technical Support
Chikwata 263-collaboration
Sadza Marimba & Mawungira eNharira

Press
Shades of San Diego
Live Morning News Channel 6 The CW
Live Morning News Channel 9 KUSI
Union Tribune
Fox 5 San Diego

Barbara Birungi – Director Hive Colab Uganda on Voices of Anakazi

Barbara Birungi She is the Director of Hive Colab in Uganda an innovation hub, business accelerator and incubator for East African technology Startups and whose mission is to build local tech capacity in East Africa for technologists and media arts. she is also the founder of WITU (women in Technology Uganda) an Organization that seeks to encourage, inspire and train more women in the tech field through networking, training, mentoring and partnering so as to increase the number of women in tech, the number of tech women entrepreneurs and more girls to take science courses at university so as to reduce the gender gap and compete favorably with male counterparts for jobs and improve the livelihoods of women in Uganda. Prior to this she also worked with Makerere University on a project to increase the sales of rural craft making women using the web so as to improve the livelihoods of these women.

Barbara Graduated with a Postgrad degree in Project Planning and Management and a Bachelors degree in Business Computing from Makerere University and is currently enrolled for a masters of Business administrtion. She is passionate about Web design and an enthusiast of ICT4D, Women and the Girl Child In Uganda. She has been the organizer of the Apps4Africa Uganda competitions sponsored by the US State Dept since its inception 2010.

A wife and Mother, Barbara Lives in Uganda with her husband and her 1.5 year old daughter.

Talk to her about http://witug.org and www.hivecolab.org

STEP INTO YOUR PURPOSE- SAVE THE DATE

Meet Kudakwashe Nyakudya on Voices of Anakazi.

Zimbabwean born Christian, Kudakwashe Nyakudya, is the Director of Cayenne Occasions, an expert-led multifaceted events management company based in Midlands, UK. Cayenne Occasions caters for corporate, cultural and social events; and also specialises in creating luxurious bespoke hand-crafted cakes that impress unique inspirational art, and baking expertise. Kudakwashe is described as a naturally selfless, and self-motivated quality driven engine that attains high excellence, in spite of obstacles. Therefore tangible excellence is at the core of her work through Cayenne Occasions.

Educated to Master of Science level, Kudakwashe is passionate about women in leadership. She believes that the leadership role of women must be elevated for the greater good of the society. She sees women as strategic, strong and hard working leaders, in whatever sphere. And because the importance of women has been marred for centuries, leading the degradation of their in the circles of life, Kudakwashe tenaciously advocates for the dignity of womanhood especially in leadership, to be revived and protected.

Kudakwashe’s invaluable work as an inspirational female leader in her own right, is drawn from both professional and personal experience. In 2008, Kudakwashe emerged from a tragic episode in her life, where she was a victim of domestic violence and abuse for 10 years, perpetrated by the Christian man she was married to. Though it was a brutal experience against her survival, Kudakwashe brings very fundamental life lessons to the wider society from this experience, that have educated both man and women, even those in leadership, on how to judiciously administer areas of life.

She is particularly dedicated to assist women and children of diverse backgrounds to pursue the fullness of abundant life after being affected by such grave pandemics. She believes that any women negatively affected by such harsh realities of life can all the more experience remarkable restoration, success and abundant life. She herself is a defiantly determined high achiever despite the destruction this episode had presented.

Kudakwashe is therefore a sought after dynamic speaker whose messages give invaluable wisdom, knowledge and understanding about matters of life, while stimulating well needed vitality in our world today. She speaks at conferences, religious or cultural gatherings, where many testify of the indelible impact of her words. Kudakwashe is also recognised as a great mentor who imparts integrity and purposefulness.

Outside business, Kudakwashe is an enthusiastic radio broadcaster. Through one of her extraordinary and original programme, Heart of Africa, Kudakwashe examines matters affecting Africa from an African-Christian perspective. This programme commands a global audience every Wednesday night at 2000hours CAT.  More listeners visit her programme’s website www.heartofafricamedia.com, to play podcasts as much as needed. The website has become a portal for educating Africans and the world at large on the reality of diverse matters affecting Africa. Guests on this show come from varied global disciplines like academia, culture, and industry.

To learn more, please visit:

Websites:        www.cayenneoccasions.com

                        www.heartofafricamedia.com

 https://502is.wordpress.com/about/50-2-is-international-inspirational-people-not-so-hidden-gems/

Charity Katotobwe – On Voices of Anakazi

Charity Katotobwe Sikazwe is a qualified Chartered Certified Accountant with full ACCA and has over 18 years work experience in financial management, Administration and project management. Her   experience spans from working in quasi –government institutions, International NGO’s and donor organisations.

Her passion is working with women and children from poor communities. In 2005 she decided to start a community Non governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Kamanga Compound, Lusaka Zambia called Food and Nutrition Foundation which links Nutrition to HIVAIDS .The foundations works with women and children that are HIV+ and are in need of care and nutritional support.

She moved to South Africa in 2010 and in 2011 .she set another community non-profit called Charity Sikazwe Foundation .She works in a disadvantaged township called Mamelodi east. The Foundation focus on providing support to women and children and the home based care and teaches women different entrepreneurship skills as a way of assisting them get financially empowered.

Charity has lived and worked in the United Kingdom and enjoys travelling. She is married with four children and is a poet and self published author.

Shami’s Cookin on Voices of Anakazi!

Shami Marangwanda Okafor  grew up in Zimbabwe. Her family are from the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe from the Manyika tribe. She lived all over Zimbabwe, as her father was a mining engineer, this lead to her love for travel. Shami moved to Seattle WA at the tender age of 16 and was on her own and going to university and moved to out on her own by the time she was 17. Shami earned her degree Finance with a minor and Finance and moved to New York after graduation. She has been recruiting for 8 years and most recently has been recruiting for a major coffee company in Seattle.

Her passion around food and travel go back as far as she can remember. “My earliest memory of cooking was when I was 9 or 10″. Going from cooking for family and friends to a full blown catering business that she does on the weekends. She caters babyshowers, wedding showers, rehearsal dinners,  birthday parties through her business Shami’s cooking. A year ago she was selected to be in the top 100 out of 60000 applicants to be on Masterchef. Her cooking has evolved over the years and pulls from all over the world. She calls it AfroFusion.

Her other passion is around being an advocate for those with no voice and currently sits on the Roses and Rosemary Board, an organization that provides HIV drugs for children HIV positive in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

She currently resides in Seattle with her loving husband. A description of her in 3 words Love. Family. Food. –

International Women’s Day

Join the Anakazi women globally, who have come together to raise voices of African women in agriculture. For this year’s International Women’s Day we are celebrating African women in agriculture. African women in agriculture comprise approximately 70% of sub-Saharan agricultural workers, and also account for about 80% of food processors. While more women than men are managers of natural resources, they are disadvantaged relative to men in terms of land ownership, access to education, access to extension services, and access to credit. The disparity between women’s important role in providing food security, and their poor representation in access to agricultural services indicates that there is need for improving their contribution to the agricultural sector.

This Saturday March, 9^th, 2013, on Voices of Anakazi we will feature several panelists to discuss the theme “Empowerment of Rural Women and Their Role in Poverty and Hunger Eradication, Development and Current Challenges. We will also discuss the Enough Food for Everyone IF Campaign and the impact of the Four IFs on African women in Agriculture. Enough Food for Everyone IF” campaign is a coalition of 80 organizations and counting which have joined together to campaign for action by the G8 on the issue of global hunger. Now that the G8 group of world leaders is returning to the UK, the coalition is demanding they take action on hunger.

Our Panelists include:

Justina Mutale             Positive Runway/Enough Food for Everyone IF Campaign – Advocacy,Policy

Elizabeth Sichinga      Africa Global Superstore, CEO – Access to market

TBA                            Technology use/Access to Finance     

Moderators:

Yareka Mhango          Anakazi Center, Moderator

Chipo Marangwanda  Anakazi Center, Moderator

You can participate in this discussion by listening and chatting with our hosts online at www.zambiablogtalkradio.com or calling into the show in Los Angeles, California at

1-347-237-4270 or tweet about us @anakazi. You can also post a message, comment or question on our facebook page

Positive Runway/ Enough Food for Everyone “IF” Campaign

On Voices of Anakazi we feature Justina Mutale, Founder of Positive Runway, a member of the “Enough Food for Everyone IF” campaign. IF is a coalition of 80 organisations and counting which have joined together to campaign for action by the G8 on the issue of global hunger. Now that the G8 groupof world leaders are returning to the UK, the coalition is demanding they take action on hunger.

The campaign, which was formally launched on January 23, 2013 at Somerset House, London and across all nations of the UK, calls on Prime Minister David Cameron to use the UK’s G8 presidency in 2013 to take action on the root causes of the hunger crisis in the poorest countries. The ‘IF’ movement challenges the Prime Minister to tackle 4 big IFs to help there be enough food for everyone:

• IF we stop poor farmers being forced off their land, and use the available agricultural land to grow food for people, not biofuels for cars.
• IF governments keep their promises on aid, invest to stop children dying from malnutrition and help the poorest people feed themselves through investment in small farmers.
• IF governments close loopholes to stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, so that millions of people can free themselves from hunger.
• IF we force governments and investors to be honest and open about the deals they make in the poorest countries that stop people getting enough food

To learn more visit http://enoughfoodif.org/positive-runway