BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
NEO-SOUL songbird, Adiona Maboreke-Chidzonga became a household name as she gained fame through the reality television show — Idols East Africa — where she was a 2008 finalist, becoming a darling of hundreds of thousands of viewers, not just in Zimbabwe, but across the continent.
She reached the top five in the show and her career has continued to flourish with her recent stint as host of Zambezi Magic channel’s My Perfect Wedding Zimbabwe series.
Married to popular actor-cum-filmmaker Munya Chidzonga, the duo carries that celebrity couple tag.
Pressure
“The pressure we have as a celebrity couple is the same as every other couple, I feel marriage is marriage, celebrity or not. I think Munya and I decided a long time ago to focus on each other instead of comparing ourselves to other couples and that is what works for us, loving each other our own way and being friends,” she said.
So, how does she manage the pressure?
“I enjoy hanging out with my sisters, having a good red wine and laughing loud. I also enjoy talking to my kids. Kids do really say the funniest things,” Adiona said.
Motherhood
Adiona is mother to three boys – Pfumai (9), Diwai (4) and Yanai (4 months).
“Juggling has not been easy, but I am thankful for a strong support system that includes my husband, my lovely in-laws Gogo and Sekuru Chidzonga, my sisters and my brother-in-law. I am telling you when they say it takes a village to raise a child, they are not lying. If I did not have the support I have, I would have lost my mind ,” she chuckled.
A fully-packed day
“In my daily routine, I wake up and I cuddle my little one, whom I am still breastfeeding. He is an early riser so I am up between 5.30 and 6am. I get the other boys ready for school with help from our aunty, Christine, pack lunch boxes and Munya does the morning school run,” she said.
“I have a 30-minute workout, breakfast then my day begins. I have a million and one things to do during the day, so listing them will take a day or two.
“These include meeting clients, rehearsals, school run, auditions, photo shoots, studio, cooking etc. My day ends exactly as it starts, cuddling Yanai, and I love it.”
And food…
“My favourite dish is curried brown sugar beans mixed with diced beef served with rice. When I make it, my boys literally overeat and that is a huge compliment to any mum,” she said.
Her secret
“The important thing that my fans don’t know about me is I don’t think of them as fans. I think of them as family because they support me, which is what family does. In fact, I dislike the word fan,” she said.
“A silly thing is that I am very sensitive about people who chew with their mouths open. I literally can’t think when someone does that, I am not disgusted by it, but I don’t know what it does to me. It’s silly. Munya says it’s psychotic, but I think it’s silly.”
