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Nyore Madzianike  Senior Reporter

AFTER returning to shoot a video for her song “Coming Home” that tells real Zimbabwean stories and the homeland’s beautiful scenic environs, Zimbabwe-born United Kingdom-based singer, Shingai, will next week return to engage other local artistes for possible collaborations and plan a big show in Harare.

Shingai, who is based in South London, hopes to challenge the negative narratives about the country through her music.

Recently, she returned home to shoot a video for her track “Coming Home”, which showcases the beautiful scenic environs around the country and the hospitality of its people.

Speaking through her manager, Chad Gangndo Nguinabe, from her London base, Shingai said she was planning to be in the country on October 10, and spend some days engaging with other artistes and stakeholders in the music industry.

“The reason why we are coming to Zimbabwe is to work towards a show for next year and to do collaborations with other Zimbabwean artistes and producers,” said Chad.

“Shingai hopes that the videos for ‘Coming Home’ will challenge narrow views of Africa and she wants to celebrate the country’s beautiful landscape, rather than the usual shock and horror narratives that you usually read about in the news.”

After having grown up in the UK, Shingai developed an edge for connecting with her roots after performing with the late Oliver Mtukudzi at his 60th birthday bash.

Chad revealed that Shingai then felt the need to embrace Zimbabwean music.

“Performing with the late Oliver Mtukudzi in Zimbabwe for his 60th birthday in 2012 also helped her to underline her connection with her roots,” he said.

“Shingai said she was petrified, but it was an incredible experience, and afterwards she felt a bit gutted that she did not pay more attention to music before. She wished to have had more confidence to embrace it.”

The London-based singer had almost quit music three years ago after having a traumatising experience in which an admirer stalked and hacked her social media accounts and assumed her identity before starting conversations with her friends and family.

It also consumed much of her time as she was always at the courts of law after the stalker was arrested and later convicted.

“Shingai wasn’t sure whether she would ever be able to find herself again,” said Chad. “Three years ago she was stalked by a former admirer, who terrorised her and hacked her social media accounts, assuming her identity and contacting her friends, family and fans.

“She eventually had to delete all of her social media pages, breaking contact with her fan base.

It jeopardised everything. With the stalker eventually convicted, Shingai’s subsequent campaign in 2017 alongside Lily Allen helped to bring a change in legislation to increase the maximum sentence for stalkers to 10 years.

“It took Shingai years to regain confidence.”

The only thing that helped her to reinforce sense of self was through music.

It is on stage that she really feels liberated. She describes herself as “a free spirit” when she performs.

The show also connects the present with her past.

Shingai started her career with the Noisettes in the mid-2000s and recorded four albums before she went solo.

She is working on her debut album “Ancient Futures” set for release next year.