The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema-Film Review
DANAI Gurira has cast a huge shadow in film and theatre such that it is almost easy to forget that we have fellow thespians raising the Zimbabwean flag high on the international stage.
One of the memorable parts of Hulu’s lukewarm comedy “Palm Springs”, aside from its incomparable leads Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, was the blink-and-you-miss-it cameo appearances by our very own Tongayi Arnold Chirisa.
I feel Chirisa is one actor who really needs that big Marvel-like break.
But, this piece is not about him, nor is it about Gurira.
Every now and then, I like to throw away the script and shine a little spotlight on the upcoming, struggling, or barely recognised and appreciated actors, actresses or filmmakers.
And today I focus on Caroline Nyaka Chana.
She is the African princess and quintuple threat currently taking Europe by storm.
But not many know about her achievements back home.
Her list of credits involve works in theatre, film and television that have taken her from an amateur group in Coventry to channels like BBC, ITV, Channels 4 and 5, and Sky (Fox Television).
In-between, she was at one time a principal Disney character and became the first black African to play Princess Tiana in the “Princess and the Frog”.
Nyaka Chana was involved in the production of the super-hit show “Game of Thrones” during the fantasy drama’s final two seasons.
Her debut in theatre was seen way back in 2006, and that was after she joined the cast of “Half a Sixpence” at Solihull Arts Complex by Peterbrook players in a humble role as a chorus girl.
Her biggest role remains Dame Shirley Bassey, where she belted the big number “Goldfinger” at the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham.
In music, she toured Europe as the lead vocalist of “The Selecter” in 2009, coming in as a replacement for Pauline Black during their 30th anniversary.
She is a renowned comedian and won first prize in the coveted “Don’t Sit in the Front Row” sketch comedy show.
This led to her own show, “The Nyaka Chana Show”, a kids’ programme showcasing their skills and talents in the arts.
These are some of colourful aspects of her career that caught my attention in our brief, but detailed chat.
The multi-talented artiste wants to give back to her country of birth — a place she calls home.
“With my position, I can now give opportunities to others. I want to see the next Nyaka Chana and I want them to be bigger and better than I ever could be.
“I recently got this gig in Australia (World Monologue Games) in which we showcase talent, and I want to bring as many people from Zimbabwe,” said Nyaka Chana.
“I am excited about the future. I just attained a licence to host music festivals and will be bringing as many local artistes as possible. I want them to perform and sell out auditoriums in Ireland.”
She has already started a few projects with the national broadcaster (ZBC), doing a few things with Freddy “Kapfupi” Manjalima and Tocky Vibes.
“I am even open to the idea of trying to bring shows like “X-factor” and “The Voice” to Zimbabwe.”
Born on May 19, 1981, she credits her rise to stardom to the two men in her life.
First was her father David “Zocha” Nyaka, who was a Zambian boxer, soldier and arts enthusiast.
“My father got me into the arts. He was my number one fan and would always tell me that I could do anything and everything. I took those words to heart and as you can tell from my bio, I tried everything,” she said.
“ . . . I was really drawn to the ghetto and would tag along every time my dad went to places like Mbare, Epworth, Chitungwiza, where he was good friends with stars like Alick Macheso.”
It was during one of these trips to Epworth, when she was about nine years old, that she met Kapfupi, her childhood friend and another male influence.
“I remember meeting him for the first time and being in awe of his talents. He was doing his thing, telling stories and making people laugh, and we hit it off over our love for the arts.
“We have kept in touch ever since,” said Nyaka Chana.
She went to Avondale Primary and Nyatsime College in Chitungwiza before moving to the United Kingdom (UK) for her art studies at the University of Warwick.
“It was in the UK where my father’s teachings and influences really came out. It started off with just joining the drama club and mushroomed from there. One door led to another.”
The artiste got her stage name Nyaka Chana in the UK.
The name has since been legalised.
She explains her big break in music.
“I had a temporary job for Paul Curtis, who was an agent for some of ‘The Selectors’, which was a big ska music band from the 70s.
“They had parted ways with their lead Pauline Black, who later formed her own version of the group called ‘Pauline Black’s Selecter’. There were planning a big tour to mark their 30th anniversary and that was all the music their agent played.
“The music stuck into my head, and, one day, some of the band members heard me sing some of their songs while working. Apparently, I sang so well, and they offered me to be the lead vocalist.
The tour itself was a very surreal experience,” she said.
The show opened doors for her in television.
