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Ammara Brown

Tawanda Matanhire : Arts Reporter

The Brown family has unleashed great talent on the Zimbabwean entertainment industry. The late Andy Brown showed his great artistry that made him a household name and his daughter Ammara is also making serious impact on the scene. She has shown versatility as a singer, instrumentalist, dancer, songwriter, producer, actress, brand ambassador, and philanthropist.With her star rising, she has fast become a household name, with her bold and energetic voice.

Born Ammara Nury Brown on September 6, 1988 to Andy Brown and Soraya Khan, she is the second born of her father’s 10 children.

Her parents divorced in 1994, after which she moved with her mother to the USA at age 10 for four years.

She studied at Alameda High School between 2002 and 2003.

Ammara was thrust into the music field at the age of three.

Her first taste of fame came in the form of an Olivine cooking oil TV commercial in 1997 that also featured superstar Oliver Mtukudzi.

At age 9, having been taught the mbira by the incomparable Chiwoniso Maraire, Ammara had experience in playing the piano as well.

At age 13, she was a member of the Martin Luther King Choir and later went on to produce her first demo song and gave it to her parents.

“When my father heard my first demo recording he was so amused to the point that he was in tears,” Ammara said.

This gave her a place in her father’s band, The Storm, at the age of 15.

In 2004, Ammara won the regional Music Crossroads competition and went on to study music at College of Performing Arts.

She was in the top five of Mnet’s Idols talent search contest at 19 and was given a chance to write theme songs for SABC1’s Mzanzi Insider, and SABC 2’s Q-Base.

As her star in music began to shine, she shared the stage with Mtukudzi, Kirk Franklin, Hugh Masekela, HHP, P-Square and Lira among many others.

Having established a solid foundation, Ammara has gone on to perform on many international stages such as Sauti Za Busara and HIFA and in 2015 graced the prestigious Jo’burg Theatre in the multi-award nominated production “Colour Me Human.”

“I have performed at countless events throughout my career in music and believe the big things are still on the way,” she said.

Singles such as “More Sugar Daddy” and “Havarare” have shown how in tune she is with the inner thoughts and feelings of Zimbabwean men and women the world over.

In the build up to her debut album “Ammartia”, she has released the Afro-pop flavoured dance anthem “Mafaro”, which she followed up with the 2014 chart topping love song “Kure Kure” on which she engaged popular star Mukudzei Mukombe who is known as Jah Prayzah.

“I had a feeling that Jah was the perfect person to deliver my dad’s classics and after attending one of his shows we met up and connected through our mbiras and from there it became easy to write the song ‘Kure Kure,” Ammara said.

The song firmly asserted Ammara’s versatility and wide appeal.

The video for “Kure Kure” amassed over 20 000 views within its first two weeks online.

Her most recent duet with Tytan, “Mukoko”, has topped local charts.

“Mukoko is my best duet to date, it has attracted a lot of attention and is topping on all radio stations,” she said.

Without a doubt, Ammara is destined for greatness.

It is clear that with every performance she leaves a piece of her soul with the audience, a feat she never fails to deliver on, with professionally packaged choreography, tonnes of energy and the voice of a true African spirit.

Needless to say, the world is ready to fall in love with Zimbabwe’s own, Ammara Brown.