Genre: Traditional
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Description:

The music of Andy Brown and the Storm bears testimony to the wealth of talent and spirit that exists in Zimbabwe. The Group's blend of traditional Zimbabwean instruments with new age sounds, in a fusion that challenges traditional and modern music metaphors

ANDY Brown’s musical career started slowly while herding cattle and goats in Mberengwa, Midlands Province and then Gutu in Masvingo when his mother remarried.

Born of a German father and a Zimbabwean mother, Andy relocated to Bulawayo for his secondary education in the late 70s. While at school, Andy teamed up with the late Jonah Mtumwa playing as the group Impact. After school, he had a stint with Ebony Sheik before meeting Gabriel Green with whom he started the group Pisces so named after their zodiac sign in 1980.

Three years later, he left for Harare where he hung out with Rosalla Miller and Boykie Moore who later became members of the group Grabb! together with Andy. The group, however, disbanded in 1984 when Rosalla left for England where her career peaked while Andy went on to join the Rusike Brothers for a short time in 1985.

Then he met the late Don Gumbo and Brian Paul who inspired the formation of Ilanga that released two unimpressive singles – “Thandiwe” and “Song of Africa” - resulting in Brian’s departure. It was then when the Barrel of Peace - Cde Chinx, Keith Farquharson and Joseph Mosias Munyaradzi Brown - merged with Ilanga.

Later Busi Ncube, Adam Chisvo and Virgillio Ignacia also joined the group. Playing lead guitar and on vocals, Andy featured prominently on Ilanga’s albums Visions Foretold and Silver and Gold that are still as fresh a sound today as they were more than 10 years ago. But Ilanga was a star-studded group whose members felt they could do better and more when they pursued solo careers.

Andy was the first to leave and founded The Storm after roping in Chiwoniso Maraire and the late Mandy Chibindi as dancers,and Ian Hillman as bassist among others. The inclusion of Chiwoniso who plays mbira and who later became his wife (now divorced) brought the distinct mbira sound to Andy’s beat.
His debut album titled Storm came in 1989, “Chimvuramabhwe” was released in 1990 and Feed Me was his last in 1991 before taking a break when he left for South Africa where he played as a session musician for a number of artistes including the South African reggae star Jambo.

On his return four years later, Andy relaunched his career in a big way and released six albums in the following six years. In 1998, he helped Chiwoniso to record her debut album “Ancient Voices”. During the farm invasions of 2000, Andy was part of the More Fire Crew that worked with the Ministry of Information and Publicity in the President’s Office in the campaigns that followed.

To some extent, his involvement with the land invasion campaigns took a negative toll on his career that briefly took a rest for four years after the release of the album Tongogara in 2001. Currently, Andy is slowly returning as shown by the release of his album “Chiedza” in 2005 and his tour of the United States of America and various appearances at musical galas held in the country.

Albums

- Storm (1989)
- Chimvuramabhwe (1990)
- Feed Me (1991)
- Gondwanaland (1995)
- Let the Children Play (1996)
- Tigere (1997)
- Harare (1998)
- Hondo YeSadza (1999)
- Tongogara (2001)
- Chiedza (2005