Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
MENTAL health advocate and acclaimed jazz musician, Raven Duchess, has intensified her efforts to promote mental wellness through music, rolling out a series of campaigns across Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
Born Ruvimbo Mapanda, the classical jazz exponent has built a reputation not only for her artistry but also for using her platform to raise awareness about mental health issues.
A music teacher by profession and a multi-instrumentalist, Raven Duchess has represented Zimbabwe at international festivals and continues to use her influence to inspire positive social change.
Powered by her latest six-track album, Indigo, featuring songs such as Ndatereka, Mayo, Zarurai Masango, Dziva reNjuzu, Chaminuka and Sunshine Vibes, the songstress is determined to provide comfort and healing to fans facing various life challenges.
Supported by the Swiss Support to Arts Development in Zimbabwe (SSADZA) Fund through the Embassy of Switzerland in Zimbabwe and managed by Kay Media Africa, the tour combines live performances, radio sessions and mental health advocacy programmes in the three cities.
In a statement, Raven Duchess’ camp said the artist, who has endeared herself to audiences in Harare and Bulawayo’s upmarket jazz venues, is committed to touching lives and spreading messages of hope through her music.
“The tour will feature live concerts, radio interviews, and open rehearsals in each city. At the heart of the project is Raven Duchess’ signature fusion of jazz and traditional mbira music, weaving together stories of culture, identity, and wellness.
“Mbira music embodies improvisation, storytelling, and inclusivity,” reads part of the statement.
“This tour is about bringing people together across age, background, and status through sound and shared experience.”
Her camp said the campaign received a major boost after she toured South Africa and Malawi last year, where she performed at different festivals and venues and learned a lot from other top musicians.
“Raven started the first leg of her tour in Victoria Falls with a performance at the Smokehouse and a radio interview with Breeze FM. She will be performing in Harare and Bulawayo, including interviews with various media outlets.”
With twelve years of experience, Raven performs as a lead vocalist, percussionist, and mbira player in both English and Shona.
She has performed at HIFA Zimbabwe, Bayimba International Music Festival Uganda, Afrofest Toronto, Lake of Stars Malawi, Tumaini Festival Malawi, UMP Festival Malawi, and Music Imbizo Durban, South Africa, and is known for her captivating stage presence and genre-bending sound.
“Beyond performance, Raven is a mental health advocate and mentor with Povo Afrika’s Musicable project, supporting music innovation and empowerment for women with disabilities.
“The tour will include advocacy content on mental health and identity, alongside live jazz-mbira arrangements created for the project.
“All sessions will be documented with short-form video and photo content for social media, extending the tour’s reach to music lovers, students, emerging artists, and cultural stakeholders nationwide,” the statement said.
Raven Duchess describes herself as a proud Zimbabwean artist whose music fuses jazz and mbira to explore themes of culture, identity and wellness. A multi-instrumentalist, producer and educator, she uses her platform to advocate for mental health awareness and mentor emerging female musicians.
Musically, she has mastered various disciplines as a teacher, performer, composer and producer, cementing her place among Zimbabwe’s most accomplished artistes.
