Alexandra Shungudzo Govere, better known as Shungudzo, is a Zimbabwean-American singer and former reality television personality. She first attracted media attention by being the first black female gymnast to represent Zimbabwe in artistic gymnastics at the 1999 All-Africa Games, and later by co-founding the Kijana Project, which provides relief for AIDS orphans. She later gained wide media attention as a cast member on the 2011 season of The Real World: San Diego.
Early life Alexandra Govere was born in the United States and grew up in a rural village in Zimbabwe that was home to straw-covered mud huts, and did not have electricity or running water.Goldner, Brandon. "Sing. Dance. Write. Andra Govere: The most amazing 20-something you haven't heard of. Yet…" . Brass magazine. May 2, 2011 She is of Zimbabwean, French, and Amerindian descent. As of the 1990’s, she was living in Oregon.
Career Ballet, gymnastics and education Govere practiced dancing and ballet, and according to her, became the first female of color to be on the Zimbabwe National Gymnastics Team at age 9. Her parents, both of whom are college graduates, encouraged her in her studies as well. She studied calculus at age 10, and finished high school by 14. She later attended Stanford University, where she studied civil engineering.Note: Sources conflict on whether she graduated. The Brass article indicates she graduated with a civil engineering degree, though her MTV.com bio indicates she dropped out eight weeks prior to graduation.
Govere was the first black female artistic gymnast to represent Zimbabwe at the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg."Zim songstress causes a stir" . The Zimbabwean. July 30, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2011.Johnson, Steve. "Zimbabwean Gymnast Makes History". AllAfrica.com. October 25, 1999 She was also the youngest member of the 162-member team.
Charity work In 1997, Govere began collecting clothing for orphans who lost their parents to AIDS. By 2002, the Kijana Project,Olson, Linnea. "The Kids Are Alright". Elle Girl Sep–Oct 2003. page 141. Google Books. Retrieved August 4, 2011. as it came to be called, had expanded to an international organization run by then-15-year-old Govere and her sister Saunsuray, consisting of 50 members who aided orphans in six different countries, raising money for clothing, toys and school supplies, as well as paying for the education of some AIDS orphans. Govere was spurred to this work after witnessing many of her childhood classmates affected by AIDS, and seeing the rising number of orphans living on the streets of Harare. In 2000, she worked with her sister in collecting money for Red Cross flood relief in Mozambique. For breaking the color barrier in artistic gymnastics, and for her humanitarian work, Govere was designated a Disney-UNESCO Millennium Dreamers Ambassador.
Music and television
While attending Stanford University, Govere was discovered by Alicia Keys' Grammy Award-winning producer, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, who had heard some songs Govere placed on MySpace for her mother to hear. Although she initially met with Brothers with the intent to be a songwriter, he made her sing vocals, and recognized her talent. With him, she released a mixtape, "Love is 4 Suckaz/I'm a Sucka 4 Love", some songs from which are available on YouTube. Brass magazine describes the mixtape as "a high-wattage soup of synthetic beats and heavy post-production mixing", whose lyrics focus on the themes of love, jealousy, revenge and anti-consumerism. Describing Govere's voice, Brandon Goldner of Brass says, "[Her voice] can range from bright and flute-like to a rougher, almost smoky honesty" Although Govere planned to debut a 2011 album with Krucial,"Album: "Love is 4 Suckaz / I'm A Sucka 4 Love" by Andra". August 14, 2010"Andra ft. Lupe Fiasco – White Swans" . Dubstep Source. July 6, 2010 She announced in October 2011 that she left Krucial to take the independent route.Govere, Alexandra."Music & Things" . Too Sweet To Be Bitter. October 7, 2011Govere, Alexandra. "Music & Things". Facebook. October 7, 2011 She has co-written a number of hit songs such as Little Mix's "Touch" and Louisa Johnson's "Best Behaviour", and has released a song on the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack. In 2018, she released her latest single, "Paper".
Govere was a cast member on MTV's The Real World: San Diego, which aired in 2011. Govere was also a writer, host, and correspondent for both MTV Act and MTV Voices."Alexandra Govere" . MTV Act Blog. Retrieved May 19, 2012."Alexandra Govere" . MTV Voices UK. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
"I'm not a mother, but I have children" Shungudzo released "It's a good day (to fight the system)", the first single from her debut album by Svikiro Records/Young Forever/BMG on October 30, 2020, as part of her three-track manifesto "I (motsi)". According to American Songwriter, "good day" is "a bold genre-defying anthem that balances passionate proclamations with sunny guitar and horn arrangements and stacked harmonies." Shungudzo followed up "good day" with the singles "To be me", which premiered on Paper video on February 2, 2021;) "There's only so much a soul can take" (song premiere on Zane Lowe's Apple Music 1 radio show and video premiere on FLOOD), "White parents" (premiere on Consequence of Sound on April 14, 2021), and the title track "I'm not a mother, but I have children." For "it's a good day" and "There's only so much a soul can take", Shungudzo was recognized as an "emerging artist to watch for in 2021" by People. Hailed by Zane Lowe as "completely unique and individual" and as an artist to "match up with asap" by Essence, "Shungudzo isn't putting up with the bullshit anymore" (Refinery29).
Shungudzo performed "There's only so much a soul can take" on the June 9, 2021, episode of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.
Personal life As of 2011, Govere was living in Los Angeles with her boyfriend, Byron, whom she began seeing eight months prior to filming The Real World. Their relationship was depicted in episode 4 of that season when he visited her at the season residence.
Discography Albums Title Year "I'm not a mother, but I have children" 2021
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peakchartpositions Album USAAA "Long Live the Billionaire" 2017— rowspan="3" "Paper" 2018— "Freedom for my People" (with Oliver Heldens)2020—"It's a good day (to fight the system)"39I'm not a mother, but I have children "To be me"2021— "There's only so much a soul can take"— "White parents"— "I'm not a mother, but I have children"— "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
As featured artist Title Year Album "Roll with Me" 2017 "Bicycle" Bicycle EP "Spare Gold" 2018 Rejuvenate "Just a Little" "Toast to Our Differences" Toast to Our Differences "Roll with Me" "Ice Cream Man" Rejuvenate "Fire in My Soul" "Weightless" 2019 Between Us "Back to Life" Synthetic Soul "How Could I Ever?" 2020 "We'll Always Have This Dance " "How Could I Ever?" 2021 "Gimme Your Love " "Choose Love" Mother Nature "Meant for Me "
Guest appearances + List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name Title Year Other artist(s) Album "Complicated" 2017 Bantu Africa for the Summer EP "Ougadougou" BC Unidos Bicycle EP "Come on Back" 2018 Shungudzo Fifty Shades Freed: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Songwriting credits Title Year Artist(s) Album Written with "Touch" 2016 Little Mix Glory Days Hanni Ibrahim, Patrick Patrikios, Philip Plested "Not That Girl" 2017 Girli Feel Ok EP Milly Toomey "Best Behaviour" Louisa Thomas Barnes, Peter Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn, Daniel Parker "It Won't Kill Ya" The Chainsmokers Memories...Do Not Open Andrew Taggart, Samuel Martin "Stay Awake, Wait for Me" Jessie Ware Glasshouse Jessica Ware, Ajay Bhattacharya, Daniel Parker "Your Domino" Jessica Ware, Ajay Bhattacharya, Daniel Parker, Daniel Sinclair "Love to Love" Jessica Ware, Ajay Bhattacharya, Daniel Parker "Wish I Never Met You" 2018 Victoria Monét Life After Love, Pt 1 Victoria McCants, Maurice "Verse" Simmonds "Way Down" MØ Forever Neverland Karen Marie Ørsted, Ajay Bhattacharya, Letter Mbulu, Caiphus Semenya "Overtime" Jessie Ware Jessica Ware, Daniel Parker, James Ford, Andy Ferguson, Matthew McBriar "Joan of Arc" Little Mix LM5 Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Hanni Ibrahim, Patrick Patrikios, Philip Plested "Wasabi" Jade Thirlwall, Uzoechi Emenike, Mike Sabath "Notice" Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Mike Sabath "Forevermore" 2019 Yuna Rouge Yuna Zara'ai, Robin Hannibal "(Not) The Love of My Life" Yuna Zara'ai, Robin Hannibal "Forget About You" Yuna Zara'ai, Robin Hannibal "Back to Life" Chiiild Synthetic Soul Yonatan Ayal, Pierre-Luc Rioux, Isabelle Dunn "Hands Off Me" 2020 Yonatan Ayal, Pierre-Luc Rioux, Isabelle Dunn, Lauren Malyon "Do Me Wrong" ASL Love Center Liza Owen, John Ryan II, Julian Bunetta, Andrew Haas, Ian Franzino "Elevate" Liza Owen, John Ryan II, Julian Bunetta, Andrew Haas, Ian Franzino "Bite the Pillow" Liza Owen, John Ryan II, Julian Bunetta, Andrew Haas, Ian Franzino "Night Owl" Liza Owen, John Ryan II, Julian Bunetta, Andrew Haas, Ian Franzino "Boys Can Swim" Liza Owen, John Ryan II, Julian Bunetta, Andrew Haas, Ian Franzino "Spotlight" Jessie Ware What's Your Pleasure? Jessica Ware, Daniel Parker, James Ford "What's Your Pleasure?" Jessica Ware, Daniel Parker, James Ford "Ooh La La" Jessica Ware, Daniel Parker, James Ford, "Soul Control" Jessica Ware, Daniel Parker, James Ford, Morgan Geist "Save a Kiss" Jessica Ware, Daniel Parker, James Ford "Remember Who You Are" Jessica Ware, Daniel Parker, James Ford "Kiss of Life" 2021 Kylie Minogue and Jessie Ware Disco: Guest List Edition Kylie Minogue, Jessica Ware, James Ford, Danny Parker
References
External links