Charmaine Shamiso Mapimbiro (born 13 July 1994), professionally known as Sha Sha, is a Zimbabwean singer from

Mutare Mutare (formerly Umtali) is the most populous city in the province of Manicaland, and the third most populous city in Zimbabwe, having surpassed Gweru in the 2012 census, with an urban area, urban population of 224,802 and approximately 260,567 ...

. Hailed by many as "the queen of

amapiano Amapiano ( Zulu for "the pianos") is a style of house music that emerged in South Africa in the mid 2010s. It is a hybrid of deep house, jazz and lounge music characterized by synths and wide percussive basslines. It is distinguished by high-pit ...

", her career began in 2011, at the age of 19 and later was discovered by

Audius Mtawarira Audius Tonderai Mtawarira (born in Chimbumu, Guruve District, Guruve, Zimbabwe, 1977) is a Zimbabwean singer-songwriter and record producer, who often works Mononymous person, mononymously as Audius. From 1996 to 2012 he lived in Australia. At t ...

. She gained popularity for her collaborations with South African

producers Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

such as

DJ Maphorisa Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe (born ), known professionally as DJ Maphorisa, is a South African DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. As a record producer with a blend of house music, amapiano and afropop, he has worked with and has received p ...

and Kabza de Small. Having signed a record deal with Blaq Boy Music, her debut ''Blossom'' EP, was released in 2019. She was awarded Best New International Act at the 2020 BET Awards.

Early life and career

1994–2017: Early years and career beginnings

Born in

, Mapimbiro moved around Zimbabwe whilst growing up following her parents' separation, often residing with her grandmother or aunts. Her music journey began after joining the choir, subsequently taking vocal and piano lessons as a child. Whilst a teenager, one of Mapimbiro's friends helped get one of Zimbabwe's biggest radio stations to play her music. This radio airplay was well-received and caught the attention of singer-songwriter

, who eventually became her mentor and helped her with improving her craft. With help from Zimbabwean musician

Brian Soko Brian Soko (born 1991) is a Zimbabwean songwriter and record producer who is based in the United States. He won three awards at the 2014 edition of the Broadcast Music Inc (BMI) R&B/Hip-Hop Awards for composing Beyoncé's song, "Drunk in Love", ...

in 2017, the duo were connected with South African musicians such

Rouge Rouge is the French word for "red" and may refer to: Compounds * Rouge (cosmetics), a cosmetic used to color the cheeks and emphasize the cheekbones * Jeweler's rouge or iron(III) oxide * Rouging, a form of corrosion applicable to stainless ...

and Priddy Ugly who featured her on their releases. During this time, Sha Sha also crossed paths with

through her cab driver. The two began working on

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

s together and, with help from the latter, was able to meet future collaborators

Mlindo the Vocalist Lindokuhle Mgedeza (born 7 October 1995), known professionally as Mlindo the Vocalist, is a South African singer and songwriter. He initially gained notable recognition following his debut single, "Amablesser", taken from his debut album, '' Ema ...

and

Don Laka Donald Mahwetša Laka (born 15 December 1958 in Mamelodi, Pretoria), professionally known as Don Laka, is a South African jazz musician, songwriter and music producer, as well as the founder of "kwaai-jazz". Laka finished studying at the Royal A ...

2018–2020: ''Blossom EP''

Sha Sha was signed to

's label Blaqboy Music in 2018. After gaining prominence with her vocals on the songs "Akulaleki" by

Samthing Soweto Samkelo Lelethu Mdolomba (born 21 January 1988), known professionally as Samthing Soweto, is a South African singer and songwriter. Samthing is best known for his vocals on Sun-El Musician's song " Akanamali" and his number 1 single on spotify " ...

, " Nge Thanda Wena" by

Mlindo The Vocalist Lindokuhle Mgedeza (born 7 October 1995), known professionally as Mlindo the Vocalist, is a South African singer and songwriter. He initially gained notable recognition following his debut single, "Amablesser", taken from his debut album, '' Ema ...

and "We Mama" by Scorpion Kings, Sha Sha released her debut EP, ''Blossom'' on November 1, 2019. On December 3, 2020, Sha Sha released the single "Woza".

2021-present: ''I'm Alive''

Towards the end of the June 2022, she signed a management deal with Black Major. "Ungowami" featuring DJ Soa Mattrix was released on July 7, 2022 as album's lead single off her debut studio album ''I'm Alive'' which was set to be released on 26 August. The album was released on September 23, 2022 in South Africa.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''I'm Alive'' (2022)

Extended plays

* ''Blossom'' (2019)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{Authority control Living people 1994 births 21st-century Zimbabwean women singers People from Mutare Deep house musicians Amapiano musicians