''Rebel Woman'' is a 2008 album by Chiwoniso Maraire and her first international release in more than 10 years, released via the U.S.-based independent label

Cumbancha Cumbancha is a record label, booking agency and music publisher based in Charlotte, Vermont. The company was founded by ethnomusicologist and music producer Jacob Edgar in 2006. In 2007, Cumbancha Music Publishing was established to expand oppor ...

. Chiwoniso's music on the album incorporates elements of traditional African music, British rhythm and blues, and modern African sounds, particularly those of

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

. The tracks are backed by the sounds of the traditional

Marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

Critical reception

Philip Van Vreck of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' praised the album's title track, saying that it "testifies to the strength of women in war and in peace." He also called "Listen to the Breeze" a "beautiful song that possesses the elegant expansiveness so typical of such African players as Hugh Masekela and West Nkosi." François Blain of the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

complimented the album's balance of traditional and modern musical styles.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's Adam Greenberg wrote that throughout the album's myriad of styles and themes, from the political to cultural to straightforward dance music, "Chiwoniso's sound is clean and complex, her vocals and mbira holding the front of the stage."

Track listing

# Vanorapa (4:04) # Matsotsi (5:05) # Gomo (4:26) # Nguva Ye Kufara (4:38) # Kurima (5:30) # Listen To The Breeze (3:48) # Wakashinga (4:14) # Irobukairo (4:35) # Pamuromo (2:41) # Nerudo (4:22) # Only One World (4:20) # Rebel Woman (4:31)

Charts

References

External links

Song LinesAfropop
{{Authority control 2008 albums World music albums Albums by Zimbabwean artists Shona-language albums