Becoming The Muse

If you were having coffee with me, we would be having a coffee chat with Tanaka Chikati who performs under the stage name SunniChi. A mbira songbird aka gwenyambira from Zimbabwe. She recently released a new single Unonzani  (Lyrics And Translation available Here) and has an album coming out soon…

Caught up with SunniChi to talk music, identity and creativity.

Coffee Or Tea

Tea definitely tea… its sooo herbal and very herbal. I am definitely a tea person.

How would you describe your sound?

Contemporary traditional with a hint of jazz reflection… A reflective soundscape.

What inspired this sound?

The inspiration came from the Mbira as an instrument. It’s a sacred instrument, its our culture, heritage and identity. As someone who plays the instrument I learnt to play the mbira from the traditional songs, Chemutengure, Nhemamusasa…., songs passed down from generation to generation… learning from the people who came before me.

Chiwoniso’s music which is very much advice giving and reflective, drew from her experiences and similarly I wanted a blend of the traditional sound as well as adding my own voice.

I wanted to keep my music relevant to people spanning different generations, from my dad who recently turned 59 to a college student who is 21… something they can both listen to.

Musical Background

I come from a musical family, Catholic. Every Sunday we went to church, I was part of the choir. My brother was a choir conductor at his school and during holidays he would teach me new songs. I learnt to play the mbira at the age of 9. I attended Dominican Convent and music was a big part of the culture there, I was in the marimba band.

Fun Fact about the mbira

Credit to Doctor Tanyaradwa Tawengwa for this folktale: According to Zimbabwe legend, the mbira was created from the tears of the goddess Marimba -the goddess of song. The was a war happening and her tears created the instrument. Playing the instrument helped facilitated the peace and healing…

Unonzani?

When I got to USA, people used to ask me “Whats your name?” “Where are you from?” and I would tell them “My name is Tanaka”… I have heard many variations of my name and some people even thought I was Japanese. I had to call home and ask my mum to please call me by my name just so I could hear it said properly.

I made the track Unonzani in April when I was feeling homesick, thinking about my family and reflecting about how my grandfather had passed away on the day I arrived in the USA for the very first time. I had never really processed that until back in April when my friend’s grandmother passed away and it hit me how I had lost my grandparents…

 My reflections took me back to the time when my grandfather suffered from dementia… every time you walked into the room he would ask “Unonzani?.. Unoerei?” (Whats your name and whats your Totem) and I would reply “Tanaka, ndinoera hanga” The next time saw him again he would ask you the same question “Unonzani?….

He had always been about building connection and communities with people and in our culture the first step is always to ask someone who they are, where they come and what their totem is and then see if you have any common ground or relations through shared totems.

Life abroad is tough and there’s so many of us scattered abroad we need to connect to each other and to our roots…. My song Unonzani is about remembering who you are, where you come… remembering your power and also that its not all roses out when you travel abroad be prepared to face whats to come..

Unonzani is my grandmother singing to me, through me… I was pretty much channelling her in the making of this album.

I am Tanaka ndinoera hanga.
Unonzani?
Unobvepi?
Unoereiko?

Any quirks or rituals that help you perform

My grandmother had this blouse she was buried in… No I did not have her exhumed to get the blouse…

My grandmother and my mum had a blouse in the same material. My mum gave me hers.. I would wear that when I was performing, my own way of saying “Look grandma… I made it.. I am struggling, I am here…” And she would comfort me: Uri mwana wamambo (You are a child of royalty) Asi muranda kwevamwe (But a commoner in a foreign land)

Why SunniChi?

I came up with this name as my Instagram handle when I was 15.. Now when I think about it, I am like, “You were a wise 15 year old girl”… Sunny, I love the sun, sunshine, bringing joy into people’s lives.. Chi for Chikati.

Music is a gift and sharing it is sharing my light with people

What are we to expect from the upcoming album

You are not ready!!!

Unonzani is a chill, calm and reflective on the soundscape, Hanga Ne Bonga is an up-tempo track, a thank you to my parents, I wouldn’t be where I am without them and the third song is a December song with saxophones…

Aliens land… why should they listen to this album?

Firstly, they can learn some Shona.
The Mbira sound will stay in your soul… once you listen to it…, you will never forget it…
Its different.

If you were president whats the first law you would make?

Wow! Okay… I actually do want to be president. First law I would make, might be a little controversial, there’s a lot of homophobia in Zimbabwe. I would remove the law that sends people to jail for their sexuality… allowing people freedom to be themselves. We are operating at such a loss, when people hide away parts of themselves and cannot fully express themselves, their artwork, music and creativity.

How supportive has been your family

There was a bit of backlash in the beginning but they saw my passion and I won them over to my vision. Now they fully support me. My mum helps me fact check my Shona lyrics and my dad keeps challenging me on that; whats my next project, how do I stay relevant…

 I want to change the narrative for the creative industry.

Plans for the future

The creative industry is growing. I want to have a Creative Arts Ecosystem which has a maker space where people can build things and tear them down.. Its hard to own a music instrument if you don’t come from a privileged background… Having place that can give you that stepping stone would be a great for upcoming creatives. I want to build something that’s the heart of arts, sustainable and can carry on after me…

Bonus Question if you were a music instrument which one would you be?

A harp… Its melodious. I’d say it’s the western version of the mbira.

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Thank you so much for your time, looking forward to the album launch on the 7^th of December.
~B

Connect with SunniChi

Website: https://sunnimusic.com/
Instagram: sunni_chi
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/sunnichi