Francisca Mandeya

Iqaluit

54 year old Francisca Mandeya -Tshuma, a Zimbabwean now living in Nunavut, plays the mbira, a traditional African instrument over 3000 years old in its reed form and over 1000 years in its iron form. She believes music is a vehicle for social change and composes and sings with transformation in mind. To her and others, the mbira is therapeutic. In 2010, Francisca published a 12-track album, Kwasunama/Brewing Storm, with her three children in Zimbabwe. In Canada, she has participated in several Alianait Festivals, jamming with famous artists and bands such as Grammy Award-winning Ranky Tanky. She has also performed online for Alianait and the Pan African Mbira Festival. She also performed at the Canada 150 celebrations in Iqaluit. She has also sung with the Inushuk Drum Dancers and Doctor Mary Piercey. In collaboration with Alianait, she conducted several workshops, including suicide prevention workshops for youth using storytelling and mbira, "I Have a Voice" child rights workshops with the City, and a music for healing workshop. She won 2nd prize in the Alianait Festival battle of the bands contest in 2015. In Zimbabwe, she performed with her children at the Harare International Festival of the Arts in the Youth Zone, as well as at events for Culture Fund, Environment Zimbabwe, Friends of the Environment, Sisters Open Mic, Book Cafe, and various private functions for several organizations. She also created a short home-made film for the 2020 Pan African Mbira Festival.