Shingai Shoniwa‏ « The British Blacklist

Shingai Shoniwa‏

Profession:
Singer
D.O.B:
1981
Nationality:
British, Zimbabwean
Genre:
Blues, Indie, Pop, Rock, Soul
Record Label:
Motown, Universal, Vertigo

Shingai Elizabeth Maria Shoniwa is an English singer, best known as the vocalist and bassist for the UK indie rock band Noisettes. Her first name, Shingai, means ‘be strong’ in the Shona language.

Shoniwa was born in London and grew up in South London. Her father (a Politician) died when she was 11, leaving her to a single mother who remarried a Cambridge University Medical student from Zimbabwe. Shoniwa has a twin sister, TV Presenter Shorai Shoniwa. Her experience, Shoniwa says, absolutely informs her music.

She first wanted to be an actress, and for a while joined the Lost Vagueness crew as a burlesque performer. She studied circus skills at a London youth club as a teenager.

When she graduated, she attended art school and dabbled in local theatre. She then went on to study at the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon where Shoniwa, her friend Dan Smith (a guitarist) and fellow Brit schooler Jamie Morisson (a drummer) formed the group called the Noisettes.

Critical response to Shoniwa’s performance has largely been positive. In her stage persona, Shoniwa looks like what the New Yorker would call “an African supermodel”, and she frequently performs in bare feet while wearing face paint or fur hats on stage.

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Shingai Shoniwa has provided backing vocals for different indie rock, electronic, and punk rock artists including, Guillemots with their song “Made Up Love Song#43” and “Over the Stairs”.

Shoniwa made an appearance on Annie Lennox’s 2007 album, “Songs Of Mass Destruction” on the single ‘Sing’. The track, about the fight against HIV and AIDS, included 22 other renowned female artists such as Madonna, Melissa Etheridge, Gladys Knight, and Celine Dion.

Shoniwa, along with Patti Smith and Juliette Lewis helped celebrate Jack Daniel’s birthday in Lynchburg, Tennessee on 13 October 2007. The three were joined by The New Silver Cornet Band for the show, which took place at the company’s distillery. The event was part of the 157th birthday celebrations for Jack Daniel, who was born in September 1850. The Birthday JD Set opened to specially invited guests and competition winners only.

On 19 November 2009, Shoniwa performed with rapper Dizzee Rascal at the Royal Albert Hall for an event to raise money for charity. Additional collaboration of Shingai with Rascal related to a version of UK rapper’s “Holyday”.

Shoniwa is credited for vocals of Dennis Ferrer’s “Hey Hey” dance/house track (released late November 2009).

On 31 December 2009 Shingai was featured in the ‘Annual Hootenanny 2010’ show (aired by BBC), where she performed together with Jools Holland a version of “Don’t Upset the Rhythm” and contributed to the vocals of tail-song “Down By The Riverside”.

Shoniwa joined Amnesty International’s Make Some Noise and appeared in an Instant Karma! video singing John Lennon’s song “Imagine” to raise awareness for the conflict in Darfur.

On 8 September 2009, Shoniwa appeared as a special guest on the Five discussion programme The Wright Stuff.

Shoniwa is also signed with NEXT Model Management in London.

Shoniwa provides the voice of the character Teal on the CBeebies show The Adventures of Abney & Teal.

As part of the Noisettes, Shingai and her fellow bandmates recorded their first release, a four-song EP entitled Three Moods of the Noisettes, issued by Side Salad Records in 2005. In 2007, Noisettes released their debut album, What’s the Time Mr Wolf? on label Vertigo Records. Described as garage-rock and compared to work by Green Day, the album peaked at number 75 on the UK Albums Chart despite positive critical reception and heavy promotion.

The Noisettes are most well known for their 2009 single release “Don’t Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go)”, which debuted and reached a peak of number two on the UK Singles Chart, and was their first single to chart outside the UK. Following the successful release of “Go Baby Go”, the Noisettes released their second studio album, Wild Young Hearts on April 20, 2009.

The album saw the Noisettes move from mainstream styles to other genres such as “jazz fusion”-influenced pop and “hard-edged indie rock”. Wild Young Hearts achieved number seven on the UK Albums Chart, as well as managing to chart in other European countries. The band released the first single from their third album Contact titled “Winner” on 9 July 2012.

Website:www.noisettes.co.uk

If any information on this page is missing or incorrect please contact The British Blacklist: info@thebritishblacklist.com

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Shingai Shoniwa‏

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