A cocktail of ethnic sounds from Zimbabwe and Kenya is a unique showcase from Queen Mashie.
Having started singing since her schooling days in the primary level, Queen Mashie is not a new name to lovers of authentic African grooves. She was born on March 10, 1982 in Gutu, Masvingo, Zimbabwe and has sung in the choirs of schools and churches attended. After completing a course in Design and Beauty Therapy at Citizen College, she joined her bother, Andy Brown’s band (The Storm) as a back-up vocalist for several artists, it was during this period that she experienced diversity in genre and appreciated the value of African touch in music. She was also the lead vocalist in The Vintage Band.
In 2005 she recorded her first album which was purely reggae with a pinch of jazz in Zimbabwe but left for Kenya soon after in July 2006 to explore the sounds of East Africa. In no time she became a renowned musician, singing with several bands in Nairobi hotels. It is during this period that her captivating voice and stage antics attracted the Tutu band which she performed with for nearly a year and a half. Shortly, Sandra started composing songs in preparation for her solo career and in September the same year after signing up with Sound Africa, she did her first concert as Queen Mashie at the Alliance Française de Nairobi.
Apart from performing, Queen Mashie has traveled to Germany and the UK teaching African Music in Elementary schools. She currently performs monthly shows in different venues in Nairobi and also every Sunday at the Village Market.
In 2002 she performed together with her brother, Andy Brown, at the Zimbabwean National Sports Stadium during the Independence Gala.In 2004 backing up her brother, they performed in various concerts in the UK.
In 2006 Queen Mashie was a back-up vocalist for the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi at a concert in San Francisco and also other European Countries.In 2008 , she participated at The Sauti Za Busara Festival representing Zimbabwe alongside the Afro Dynamics Band, a group consisting of artistes from Austria, France, Senegal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.Queen Mashie’s latest album KARE KARE (13 track CD& DVD) expresses a zesty fusion of chimurenga from her Zimbabwean roots together with benga and chakacha from East African influences. She doesn’t hesitate to speak of the adversities of society in her music especially to her fellow Zimbabweans who are facing a very difficult period in their history. The guitars, trumpet, saxophones and drums accompanied by mbira a traditional Zimbabwean instrument, serves Queen Mashie’s music as a true taste of Africa.