I have travelled the world and had amazing experiences. Having spent half my life outside Zimbabwe I recently returned to create a new chapter in my life .

I first wrote lyrics to accompany music at 15 after being encouraged by a relief teacher at Art School in Joburg. I don’t think doing Drama did very much for my confidence but my knowledge and self discovery came from walking the streets of Hillbrow meeting amazing people and having experiences I hold dearly to me. I am the youngest of 3, my parents have both passed on , my father left an incredible legacy , worked very hard for us and made his mark. I am the rebel in the family and have issues with institutions like education, religion, and anything that labels and restricts; that is expected of us and with people indoctrinated with beliefs that have been passed on without questioning and don’t belong to me.

In 1996 I created Succulent, an indie pop band, which performed and released a cd in 6 months! We played at Radio 1 Sound City Oxford, The Point (Oxford) and The Rock Garden Soho, London. Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) is one of my greatest influences along with Kate Bush, with this in mind I decided to create music, with no specific style, focusing more on the lyrics and meaning. It was a great experience but the style of music didn’t suit me and my vocals and as I became more aware of Trip Hop from bands like Massive Attack and Lamb I created my own style which some call ‘world music’, I don’t believe in titles or genres, it is and doesn’t need a label.

‘My Fantasy’ The last track I recorded at the end of Succulent in the album Ask Female Anything was the first track recorded with Strip Studios www.strip.co.uk in 1997. Using a digital studio to create loops, samples and bring in unusual sounds eg crickets as in ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and the mott mott bird in My Fantasy. Working with Sharkey opened me up to new styles, drum & bass being one of them and allowing me to do what I want without limitations. The first track I recorded after the break up of Succulent was ‘Keiko’, dedicated to the whale that had been used for the film ‘Free Willy’ and then abandoned by Warner Bros in an aquarium somewhere in the States. A campaign was started in 1995 The Keiko Foundation www.keiko.com was formed where millions was saved to move Keiko back to Rejkeveic Iceland where he had been caught as a baby after his mother was killed whaling. I wrote ‘Keiko’ in 1996 before he was moved back by plane to a secluded area in the sea where he was rehabilitated and eventually released back into the wild. In December 2003 Keiko died of pneumonia being the second oldest orca to have been kept in captivity.
I went on to record various tracks after this at Strip Studio till 2002. I was living in Cornwall and recording in London, so decided to find a local studio where I recorded two tracks in analogue. With Nigel Mazlyn-Jones and Margaret Jones (piano) in Camelford I recorded A Bossiney Conversation, the only song I have sung without lyrics. The song came to me in Bossiney Cave which sits on the west coast of Cornwall and to enter it is dependent on the tides. I’d gather a small crowd at full moon that would be prepared to walk down the steep cliff and back up again, once inside the cave I would sing using the amazing acoustics from the caves. The gathering would include dance, story-telling, meditation and song. The caves were wet, sea water dripping from the roof and we would have to watch out for the turning of the tide, which can happen very quickly as the waves return to fill the cave. I recorded A Bossiney Conversation with Barbra Degener an incredible celloist living in the area originally from Germany. After completing this I recorded ‘I wonder’ with Margaret on piano.

In December 2003 I returned to Zimbabwe for a holiday and on my way back to London I went to Egypt. This trip started the next chapter in my life. I fell in love with the Sinai and very quickly found work in Dahab. In August 2004 I moved to the Sinai and lived with the Bedouin dancing with women round the fire for a living. For 3 years I lived like a Bedouin, moving regularly and sleeping most nights under the stars. I fell in love with an Egyptian and have two beautiful sons.

This year 2011, I recorded ‘Within Us’ at Thulani Studios in Zimbabwe. My first recording in 8 years the song was originally recorded as ‘to The Stars’ and I wanted to rework it.. I wrote ‘Our World’ in February as I feel that in order to conserve our wildlife and natural areas we need to start loving this world we live in and each other. I asked Mannex (transit Crew) to work with me and our collaboration has created a unique sound. I believe the timing is so perfect to release a song like ‘Our World’ . People are wanting something positive, some reinforcement or reminder that what we have is perfect and as long as we have love all will be in harmony.

In December 2011, I wrote and recorded ‘Spirit of Africa’, a song celebrating Mbuya Nehanda and Miriam Makeba. The music composed by Rumbie, is mainly mbira with traditonal drumming used part of ritual. It was important for this feel to come through the song, so people of Zimbabwe can identify with their spiritual heritage.

For the album ‘Believe’ I recorded a song ‘Believe’ I wrote in 2002 after the breakup of my 13 year relationship. Women identify with this song as most of us have been in this place at sometime in our lives.
My passion lies in photography, film and art, but my greatest love is music, it can make me dance, cry, sing and bring back emotions, experiences and memory. I often start my day with the music on loud dancing at sun rise with my boys.
I am blessed to be a channel, a vehicle, as I know the words, my dreams and the music come from somewhere beyond my self and I am honored to share my heartaches, my loves, my joys, my reality with you and hope you take something good away with you.

Our World by Odette & Mannex

Believe by Odette