Piwai

Fondly known as the girl with the African thumb piano, the mbira, Piwai wows audiences across the globe with her soulful voice and genre-fusing melodies. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Piwai’s love of music is influenced by her multicultural Southern Africa and gospel exposure in early childhood.

At age 10 she joined the church choir and by 13 she was writing and performing her own songs. At 19 Piwai left medical school in her native Zimbabwe to pursue a career as a biologist in the US, although the pull of music proved far too great during her studies.

During and after college years, Piwai trained as a jazz vocalist at the Jazz School of Berkeley, studying with world-renowned vocalists and instructors such as Vernon Bush, Raz Kennedy, Maye Cavallaro, and Frankye Kelly.

Piwai has since been under the tutelage of maestros and the incomparable percussionist, Yagbe Onilu, and conguero, Butch Haynes, and has collaborated regularly with Fantastic Negrito, playing percussion on his 2017 Grammy Award winning album “Last Days of Oakland.”

Piwai’s chilling vocals and hypnotic sound have been described as spiritual nirvana, A captivating performer, she bends genres to seamlessly flow from jazz, reggae or folk to pure African rhythms, moving listeners to physically feel her music, creating a trance-like rhythm that balances consciousness.