When it comes to putting together albums, it is often that Zimbabwean artists give us products that feel like they were rush. A haphazard compilation that fails to present the true essence of a singer. You could argue that our entertainment landscape is not for full bodies of work but singles, yet you can’t deny what great albums have done for names like Killer T, Jah Prayzah and Winky D.
As if understanding this train of thought, Mary Anibal’s debut project is a body work that defies the odds. An album that is the creation of patience and an immersion in uniquely Zimbabwean sounds. Folk and traditional melodies, wrapped in beautiful vocals and delivered of the sound of indegenous instruments.
Maria Wenyu, “Your Mary,” is a story told across 10 songs that feels deeply personal to Mary Anibal. A member of Jah Prayzah’s 3G band (since 2021), a Mbira session musician, a mbira player, a vocalist and a percussionist, Mary Anibal brings all the skills she’s honed in 8 years of doing music to Maria Wenyu. It is a truly Zimbabwean body of work in sound and subject matter.
MARIA WENYU the title track and opener, is the story of Mary herself, told in two different languagess over mbira, and subtle drums that get deeper in sound when the moment demands it. It begins by describing how Mary’s parents were expecting a boy after having two girls but it was her who arrived. MARIA WENYU has the narrative of a Shona folktale – Ngano. As the song goes over it’s peak, she sings “Ndini Maria ndauya nechipo changu” – I am Mary and I’ve come to you with my gift.
While at heart a presentation of Mary Anibal’s worldview, the album sometimes feels like a work of gospel in its lamentation to higher powers. This is present in tracks like NDITARIREI, which sees Mary call upon the Lord to look over her, and GOGORIDE, which talks about those who perform rituals for the sake of wealth and the need for God’s is turning such situations around.
All through this album Mary’s vocals are the cream that rises to the top, and they’re almost always accompanied by indegenous instrumentation. Drums, mbira, hosho, and marimba, often accompanied by the bass or acoustic guitar.
RUNGANO speaks to the difficulty of beginning your own journey, while YEUKA which features Jah Prayzah speaks about the harsh realities of being an orphan in society and being abandoned by those around you. Maria Wenyu carries the spirit of perseverance at it’s core. While tracks like NDIBATSIRE may call upon society to recognise when someone is in need, Mary Anibal ultimately puts the most weight on how our decisions can alter our own lives.
SIMUKA demands that we rise and it carries the message that a problem shared is a problem halved. PARAFINI brings to mind an iconic onscreen character but tells the story of a stolen love as one is forced into a marriage with someone not of their choosing. Mary Anibal makes the plea to be allowed to choose the one she loves: “Inga hamba yakada makwati, ini ndine wangu wandinoda.”
VANA is Mary’s advocacy for the young in society and MVURA is a fitting summation for this project that calls upon us to be ready when the season changes.
Maria Wenyu is a piece of Mary Anibal that speaks to the world. A well put together debut that brings new to traditional Zimbabwean rhythms.
