IS Ammara Brown the next female superstar in Zimbabwean music?
This is a question that revellers are asking after the release of the musician’s debut album titled Ammartia.
‘Ammartia’ is the term the musician uses to affectionately refer to her fans.
Ammara might not possess her late father Andy Brown’s talent, but she has proved to be a go-getter in the cutthroat music industry.
Since her father’s death, the ‘Mukoko’ hitmaker has worked hard to stamp her name on the music map.
Using her facebook page, she vigorously marketed her album.
For a month, she dedicated each day to sharing with her fans the journey of Ammartia as well as her other works in the music industry.
The strategy, in which she shared posts that revealed how her late father inspired her music career, seems to have garnered her more fans.
“Daddy planted the music seed. The inspiration. He sparked the flame that would grow to know and call passion (sic),” reads part of her post.
There is no doubt Ammara has worked her way up in the industry.
In a time when female musicians are not ‘visible’ in the top charts of local music, Ammara is keeping pace with her male counterparts.
It appears women still remain on the periphery in the music industry.
However, the energetic and tireless pint-sized musician has made sure that women continue to contribute and be counted.
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed as corporates, like Delta Beverages, have included her in their programmes while promoters have put her in line-ups of international performances.
She was the only female musician voted by revellers to play at the just-ended Castle Lager National Braai Day.
Apart from being the woman of the moment, the ‘Mukoko’ hitmaker is one female musician who has collaborated with many fellow musicians.
Collaborations have not only made her famous, but contributed to her maturing in the tough bone-crunching industry.
Her music has received rave reviews locally and internationally.
Some of her collaborations that have been a huge success include songs like ‘Kure Kure’ that featured man-of-the-moment Jah Prayzah, ‘Mukoko’ with Titan and ‘Bhachura’ featuring XQ.
The musician has chosen not to ape her legendary father but be her own woman in the industry. Her father was an Afro-fusion singer but she has become popular by being an Afro-pop musician.
Pundits in the music industry opine her debut album Ammartia will increase her popularity as there is more of her to listen to.
Her single ‘Akiliz’ which was released a few months prior to her album launch is testimony of her talent and the song has rocked the charts.
Ammara’s other strength is that she is not just a musician but also a performer; her live performances are compelling.
Her well-choreographed dances on stage or videos have earned her many fans.
When she performs, through her palpable energy, she possesses the stage, grabbing the attention of even the hard-to-please revellers. Her entry into the limelight can be traced from her childhood.
Her first taste of fame came in the form of an Olivine cooking oil TV commercial in 1997, that also featured the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi.
Growing up in a musical family, she began learning to play the mbira at the tender age of nine.
Her tutor was none other than the late mbira maestro Chiwoniso Maraire, who was also her step-mother.
(sic)“A lot of people thought Chi was my biological mother, and if you asked her” how’s your daughter Ammara?” She’d answer with “She’s doing great!”
“You see, we didn’t care to know about the “step child or step mom” life. The truth is I met Chi when I was 8 years old.
“I don’t remember how long I nagged her to teach me how to play mbira, but on my 9th birthday her and my dad gifted me with my first nyunga nyunga.
“There are many reasons why Iam the artist I am today. One of them being that I had fantastic teachers,” says Ammara on her facebook page.
At the age of 13, while in the US, she became a member of the famous Martin Luther King Choir.
Later, she returned home to become one of the backing vocalists in her father’s band, The Storm.
Some of Ammara’s songs include ‘Night of the Queen’, ‘More Sugar Daddy’, ‘Crucify me’, ‘Havarare’ and ‘Ndichakusuwa’.