Sha Sha’s Biography and the Songs that Sealed Her Place as the Queen of Amapiano

Sha Sha (Real name: Charmaine Shamiso Mapimbiro, born 13 July 1994) is  a Zimbabwean singer, songwriter and performer who became popular following her collaborations with South African amapiano producers such as DJ Maphorisa and Kabza de Small.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Sha Sha has established herself in the South African music industry. Through collaboration with iconic South African musical acts, she has earned the title “Queen of Amapiano.” There is a belief that nature has a way of bringing you to where you are supposed to be at any time, and that seems to be what has played out with Sha Sha.

The story of how she has made South Africa home, how she rose to fame, and how she got to meet and collaborate with big-time South African musicians is an inspiring one. The young and beautiful Amapiano Queen has released several songs that have helped cement her place in the Amapiano genre.

Summary of Sha Sha’s Biography

  • Full name: Charmaine Shamiso Mapimbiro
  • Nickname: Sha Sha
  • Gender: Female
  • Date of birth: 13 July 1994
  • Place of birth: Mutare, Zimbabwe
  • Sha Sha’s Age: 30 years old
  • Ethnicity: African
  • Nationality: Zimbabwean
  • Zodiac Sign: Cancer
  • Occupation: Singer, songwriter
  • Music genre: Amapiano
  • Famous for: Being the Queen of Amapiano
  • Sha Sha’s Instagram: shashaofficial1

Sha Sha is Originally Zimbabwean

As a result of her success in the Amapiano genre and South African music industry, many people do not know that the Abondaba hitmaker is originally from Mutare, in Zimbabwe. However, she has grown to love South Africa, that she now sees the country as home, just like she sees Zimbabwe.

According to her, at the start of her career, music in Zimbabwe was not as professional as she wanted it. As a result, she didn’t see Zimbabwe as an accommodating country to upcoming music artists at that time. Over the years, however,  things have evolved, and music in Zimbabwe is way better than it used to be. In general, she has had amazing experiences in both Zimbabwe and South Africa, and she is grateful to both countries for making her who she is today.

She Came from A Broken Home

Sha Sha, the beautiful and talented artist we all celebrate today, didn’t have the best kind of childhood. She was born Charmaine Shamiso Mpambiri on the 13th of June 1994 in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Her parents got separated, and as a result, she had to spend her childhood living with her aunties and grandmother. But all of that did not hinder her journey to eventual success, although it was a bumpy ride.

Detailed information about her parents and other family members, such as her siblings, are not available. In an interview, the singer remarked about heading to a nursing school. This could only mean that she completed her high school education. However, it is not clear if she attended the nursing school, and if she did, it is also not clear if she graduated.

Even if she graduated, she is obviously not pursuing a career in nursing as she has now become a renowned music artist who is popular across Zimbabwe and South Africa. Being raised by parents who were apart was certainly not the best experience. Still, from the evidence of how successful she has turned out to be, she must have been through did not dampen her determination to succeed at her childhood passion.

She Started Her Music Career Since She Was A Child

Sha Sha started her music career by joining a choir and also singing in school. As a child, she took vocal and piano lessons, which helped fuel her passion for music and polish her skills. As a teenager, a friend of hers helped get one of the biggest radio stations in Zimbabwe at that time to play her song, and this was the beginning of her breakthrough.

The song caught the interest of Audius Mtawarira, a songwriter and singer who took her under his wing. Audius was more than just a music mentor to the Amapiano Queen, he was more like a father, and today, she is happy that her success has made him a proud father.

See also
George Lebese Net Worth, Career Salary and The Car He Drives

Audius Mtawarira picked Sha Sha up and helped her improve her musical abilities. He also linked her up with Brian Soko, a Grammy award-winning songwriter who connected them to South African musicians like Priddy Ugly and Rogue, who featured her in their songs.

Initially, the singer did not see her music as a big deal. Still, one of the things that motivated her to make music professionally was the reaction of people any time they listened to her song – one of which was the reaction of the radio station CEO where her song was played.

Sha Sha Met DJ Maphorisa Through A Taxi Driver

Before relocating to South Africa, Sha Sha used to travel to the country to visit her mother, it was in one of such visits that her cab driver linked her up with DJ Maphorisa; they worked on ballads. Her meeting with DJ Maphorisa changed the course of her music career. Through him, she started collaborating with other South African music artists, especially those of the Amapiano genre, such as Kabza De Small, Mlindo, the Vocalist, and Don Laka.

Collaborating with South African musicians seems to have been one of Sha Sha’s favorite projects. Her first single, Tender Love with DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, remains her best work with other artists. DJ Maphorisa is undeniably one of the pioneers of the Amapiano sound, and collaborating with him earned her the title of the Queen of Amapiano. In an interview, she made it clear that this title does not put her under any pressure as a musician, and she will continue making music as she is already doing.

Some of the songs that helped Sha Sha seal her place as the Queen of Amapiano include:

  • Tender Love – 2019
  • Woza – 2020
  • Akulaleki – 2019
  • Sing it Black – 2019
  • Abondaba – 2019
  • Emazulwini
  • You – 2019
  • Mutare – 2019

Sha Sha Released Her Debut EP In 2019

From collaborating with DJ Maphorisa, she got signed into his record label Blaqboy in 2018. Under the record label, she released her debut EP in 2019 titled ‘Blossom.’ This album had two major hit songs. The first was Tender Love featuring DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De small, with almost 6 million views on YouTube. This song did better than the next, with over 4 million views. Following Tender Love is another collaboration with DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small titled Sing it Black. This track has hit over one million YouTube views.

Other tracks in this album have gotten over 100k YouTube views, which shows that fans love Sha Sha’s music. Her latest song, titled Woza, seems to be another big hit for the Amapiano Queen. In less than five months of uploading the official video on YouTube, the song already has over one million views.

Her outstanding music has earned her five award nominations, but she has only won one – the 2020 BET award for Best New International Act. According to her, this was the happiest moment of her career.

Was this article helpful?
  • Was this article helpful?
  • Yes
  • No
Romeo Ndlovu
Romeo Ndlovu
Romeo's secret talent is taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary content. At work, he is thinking about how best to provide the most unique, original content that provides utmost satisfaction to the user. Away from work, he is a football addict who loves to catch up on his favorite pastimes

Recommended

Featured Today

Related Stories

error: Content is protected !!