Shungudzo - I'm not a mother, but I have children (Album)
Zimbabwean-American philanthropist, singer-songwriter, producer and gymnast Shungdozo releases her latest album ‘I'm not a mother, but I have children’.
The album is a protest project birthed from personal experience having grown up a black woman in a post-colonial Zimbabwe and later a broken America, catalysed by the case of George Floyd. Shungudzo's music directly confronts race, carefully unpicking its origins / manifestations from societal prejudices to the fetishisation of people of colour. In the lead up to her album, Shun has fast become the forefront of US protest music with her highly specific releases and impassioned performances, such as US national TV show ‘Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’ (see here), standing as an example that despite the passing of the 1 year anniversary of George Flloyd’s death yet the wave of protest music still continues.
Shun was the first female of colour to compete on the Zimbabwean National Gymnastics team but had to do a lot of her early training at home after being denied entry into training programs because of the colour of her skin. Once she won her way into a program, her teammates went so far as to beat her up during practice breaks, and spit at her while practicing. Later moving to America and whilst attending Stanford University, Shun was discovered by Alicia Key’s Grammy Award-winning producer, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, who had heard some songs Shun placed on Myspace for her mother to hear. She’s since been releasing her own incredibly inspiring music as well as penning for a whole host of incredible music talent such as Little Mix, MØ, Jessie Ware, Chiild, Victoria Monét.
I'm not a mother but I have children" by Zimbabwean-American artist/activist Shungudzo is the fifth and final instalment to her album of the same title, out this June 18th. "I'm not a mother, but I have children" is Shungudzo’s interpretation of a classic folk protest song mixed with her personal approach to production, song-writing and song structuring. With an infusion of layered American and Zimbabwean sonic and vocal elements, the result is a dreamy sound capsule of hope.
Shungudzo's music directly confronts the issue of race in its many forms, carefully unpicking it’s origins and manifestations from governmental prejudices to the fetishization of people of colour, taking inspiration from her own personal experiences growing up as a black woman in America. Before music, she was the first female artistic gymnast of colour to compete on the Zimbabwean National Team until she was discovered by Alicia Keys, whilst studying at Stanford University, after she posted a couple of tracks on her Myspace for her mum to hear.
Be sure to follow Shungudozo for the latest. Her music - including I'm not a mother, but I have children available to stream now
