Shingai Elizabeth Maria Shoniwa ( ; born 1 September 1981), known professionally as Shingai is a Zimbabwean-British singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

and

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...

for the English

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band

Noisettes Noisettes are an English indie rock band from London, currently composed of singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa and guitarist Dan Smith. The band first achieved commercial success and nationwide recognition with the second single of their sec ...

. In 2017, she launched her solo career and released her debut solo album in 2020.

Early life

Shingai was born and grew up in Lewisham, South East London. Her parents are both Zimbabweans who migrated to the United Kingdom. That experience, Shoniwa says, informs her music. "Wanting to escape from reality can inspire the greatest and most trivial creative natures in people," and "I think escapism is something that connects all of us. Everybody has their own little soundtrack, and I guess I’m trying to make my own soundtrack to my escape plan. I want people to realise that there's so much more." Her first name, Shingai, means "be bold/courageous/strong" in the

Shona language Shona (; sn, chiShona) is a Bantu language of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. It was codified by the colonial government in the 1950s. According to ''Ethnologue'', Shona, comprising the Zezuru, Korekore and Karanga dialects, is spoken by about 7 ...

. She first wanted to be an actress, and for a while joined the Lost Vagueness crew as a burlesque performer.Frere-Jones, Sasha (16 April 2007), "THE SHONIWA SHOW". ''New Yorker''. 83 (8):24. She studied circus skills at a London youth club as a teenager. When she graduated, she attended art school and dabbled in local theatre. Her classmate and friend, Dan Smith, would hold what she called "ridiculous jam sessions — too many people strumming broken guitars thinking they're

Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...

". She then went on to study at the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extens ...

.Goodman, Elizabeth (21 September 2006), "THE NOISETTES", ''Rolling Stone'' (1009):24 One day she joined him singing, and the two quickly formed a group called the

. Their first release in 2002 was on a compilation called "Raison D'Etre London Vol 1" Compiled by Yvan Serrano (Dustaphonics) regrouping some of London's up and coming artists, also featuring Charlie Winston among others.

Music career

Critical response to Shingai's performance has largely been positive. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' magazine said that "Shingai is a living, breathing manifestation of the rock & roll spirit, with a voice that is equal parts

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who w ...

and

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

." In her stage persona, Shingai looks like what the ''

New Yorker New Yorker or ''variant'' primarily refers to: * A resident of the State of New York ** Demographics of New York (state) * A resident of New York City ** List of people from New York City * ''The New Yorker'', a magazine founded in 1925 * '' The ...

'' called "an African supermodel", and she frequently performs in bare feet while wearing face paint or fur hats on stage. Shingai has provided backing vocals for different

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

, and punk rock artists including, Guillemots with their song " Made Up Love Song #43" and "Over the Stairs". Shingai made an appearance on

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...

's 2007 album, '' Songs Of Mass Destruction'' on the single "

Sing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music ( arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or ...

". The track, about the fight against

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...

and AIDS, included 22 other renowned female artists such as Madonna,

Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and its lead ...

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

, and

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

. Shingai, along with

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

and

Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an " it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s ...

, helped celebrate

Jack Daniel Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel ( January 1849 – October 9, 1911) was an American distiller and businessman, best known as the founder of the Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey distillery. Early life Daniel was the youngest of ten children bor ...

's birthday in

Lynchburg, Tennessee Lynchburg is a city in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is governed by a consolidated city-county government unit whose boundaries coincide with those of Moore County. Lynchburg is best known as the location of Jack Da ...

on 13 October 2007. The three were joined by The New Silver Cornet Band for the show, which took place at the company's distillery. The event was part of the 157th birthday celebrations for Jack Daniel, who was born in September 1850. The Birthday JD Set opened to specially invited guests and competition winners only. On 19 November 2009, Shingai performed with rapper

Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. D ...

at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

for an event to raise money for charity. Additional collaboration of Shingai with Rascal related to a version of the latter's song "

Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or t ...

". Shingai is credited for vocals of Dennis Ferrer's "Hey Hey" dance/house track, released in late November 2009. On 31 December 2009 Shingai was featured in the ''Annual Hootenanny 2010'' show (aired by BBC), where she performed together with

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric ...

a version of "Don't Upset the Rhythm" and contributed to the vocals of tail-song "

Down By The Riverside "Down by the Riverside" (also known as "Ain't Gonna Study War No More" and "Gonna lay down my burden") is an African-American spiritual. Its roots date back to before the American Civil War, though it was first published in 1918 in ''Plantation ...

". In 2013, Shingai appeared on the album ''Chrome Black Gold'' by

Chrome Hoof Chrome Hoof are an experimental chamber rock orchestra based in London, England. The group was formed in 2000 by Cathedral bassist Leo Smee and his brother Milo Smee. Initially performing as a duo, their music was mostly electronic. Since ...

, singing lead on four tracks. She also made appearances live with the band. She released her first solo album, "Too Bold," in October 2020. On June 25, 2021 Mark Knight from Toolroom Records released his first album of original music entitled Untold Business with a track titled "Feel The Pressure" featuring Shingai on vocals.

Other endeavours

Shingai joined Amnesty International's Make Some Noise and appeared in an Instant Karma! video singing

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's song " Imagine" to raise awareness for the conflict in Darfur. On 8 September 2009, Shingai appeared as a special guest on the Five discussion programme ''

The Wright Stuff ''The Wright Stuff'' is a British television chat show which was hosted by former tabloid journalist Matthew Wright from 2000 until 2018. It aired on Channel 5 on weekday mornings from 9:15 to 11:15am. The series characterised itself as "Bri ...

''. Shingai is also signed with NEXT Model Management in London. Shingai provides the voice of the character Teal on the

CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older chil ...

show '' The Adventures of Abney & Teal''.

Solo discography

Studio albums

*''Too Bold'' (2020)

Extended plays

*''Ancient Futures'' (2019)

Singles

*"Coming Home" (2019) *"Zimtron" (2019) *"Champion Styles" (2019) *"Love and Affection" (2019) *"War Drums" (2020) *"Echoes of You" (2020) *"We Roll" (2020) *"In This World" feat. DJ Lara Fraser (2021) *"Too Bold Remix" (2021) *"Echoes of You (Kenyan Remix)" (2021) *"War Drums (ZIM Remix)" (2021) *"No Fear (Birth Right)" (2021)

Noisettes discography

;Studio albums *''

What's the Time, Mr Wolf? What's the time, Mr. Wolf? (also known as ''What time is it, Mr. Wolf?'', ''1 2 3 Piano'' in Belgium and in the United States ''What time is it, Mr. Fox?'') is a form of tag played in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the United States, the English- ...

'' (2007) *'' Wild Young Hearts'' (2009) *''

Contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * ...

'' (2012)

Collaborations

Herbert Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert, ...

songs: "I Miss You", "The Audience", "It's Only", "A Reprise", "Leave Me Now", "Misprints", "Chromoshop" (2000–2003) * Ace songs: "No Fear Of Falling" and "Phoenix" from the album '' Still Hungry'' (2003) *Toob songs: "Inky" and "Beaulieu" from the album ''How To Spell Toob'' (2005) * Guillemots songs: "

Made-Up Lovesong 43 "Made-Up Lovesong #43" is a song by Guillemots, from their album, ''Through the Windowpane''. It was released as a single; their first to be chart-eligible, reaching number 23 in the UK Singles Chart. An older version of the song appears on '' ...

" from their album, ''

Through the Windowpane ''Through the Windowpane'' is the debut full-length album from the British indie rock band Guillemots. It was released on 10 July 2006 in the United Kingdom and reached number 17 in the UK Album Chart. The album was highly anticipated followi ...

'' (2006) and "Over the Stairs" from their ''

From the Cliffs ''From the Cliffs'' is an EP by multinational indie rock band Guillemots, released on 14 March 2006. It compiles their previous releases, the ''I Saw Such Things in My Sleep EP ''I Saw Such Things in My Sleep EP'' is the debut EP from ...

'' EP (2006) *

single: "

" from the album '' Songs of Mass Destruction'' (2008) *Plugs singles: "That Number", "Imaginary Friends" (2008) *Dennis Ferrer: "Hey Hey" (2010)

Equipment

Bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and s ...

: Fender * Amp: Ashdown

References

External links

Official Shingai site
*
Shingai Shoniwa
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Shingai Shoniwa interview
with

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, f ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shoniwa, Shingai 1981 births Living people English people of Zimbabwean descent English bass guitarists English songwriters English women guitarists English feminists People from Lewisham Shona people Feminist musicians Singers from London British indie rock musicians English women in electronic music English punk rock singers Women bass guitarists 21st-century Black British women singers English film actresses English voice actresses English television actresses 21st-century bass guitarists Women punk rock singers Chrome Hoof members