Draze (aka Dumisani Maraire Jr.) is the latest member of a premier musical family of Zimbabwe to emerge as a high-profile U.S. artist. He is the son of the great Dumisani Maraire Sr. and Lora (Sukutai) Chiorah-Dye.  Both were key figures in the Zimbabwean music diaspora. Draze is being celebrated for the way in which he modernizes the mbira and marimba while infusing new spirit in contemporary music performance. He was recently propelled to an international arena with his nomination for a Zimbabwe Hip Hop award and features of his music in popular television shows and promotional ads for major brands: Love & Hip-Hop, Empire, The Masked Singer, NBA TV, Inventing Anna, and others. With over 100 placements in television, film, and commercials Draze is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after writers in Hollywood.

Draze moved from his Seattle home to Zimbabwe at the age of six, where he was immersed in traditional Zimbabwean music and began performing. Still a youth when he returned to Seattle, Draze grew up in Seattle’s hip hop culture and street life, and became recognized as one of the top artists in the region. Draze continued to perform in his family’s Zimbabwean marimba band on several continents around the world, opening for major artists such as Janet Jackson, Miles Davis, and Jimmy Buffet. As Draze, he has performed as an opening act for Snoop Dogg, Macklemore, Wale, Floetry, and others. Tours have taken him to Korea, Japan, Guam, Hawaii, Europe, and throughout the world.