Alexandra Govere
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Govere is a Zimbabwe
an philanthropist
, singer, songwriter
, record producer
, gymnast
and reality television
personality. She first attracted media attention by being the first black female gymnast to represent Zimbabwe in artistic gymnastics at the September 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
.
, in a rural village that was home to straw covered mud huts that did not have electricity or running water. She is of Zimbabwean, French
, and Amerindian
descent. Her family eventually relocated to California, and as of the early 2000s, she was living in Oregon
.
, where she studied civil engineering.
Govere was the first black female gymnast to represent Zimbabwe in artistic gymnastics at the September 1999 All Africa Games. At 12 years of age, she was also the youngest member of the 162-member team.
Govere was designated a Disney-UNESCO Millennium Dreamers Ambassador, and has also worked with her sisters in collecting money for Red Cross flood relief in Mozambique.
' Grammy Award-winning producer, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, who had heard a song 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
. Although Govere planned to debut a 2011 album with Krucial, She announced in October 2011 that she left Krucial in order to take the independent route.
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".
Govere is a cast member on MTV
's The Real World: San Diego
, which premiered on September 28, 2011.
with her boyfriend, Byron, whom she began seeing eight months prior to filming The Real World.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
and reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
personality. She first attracted media attention by being the first black female gymnast to represent Zimbabwe in artistic gymnastics at the September 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
The Real World: San Diego (2011)
The Real World: San Diego is the twenty-sixth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships...
.
Early life
Alexandra Govere was born in the United States but grew up in ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, in a rural village that was home to straw covered mud huts that did not have electricity or running water. She is of Zimbabwean, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, and Amerindian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
descent. Her family eventually relocated to California, and as of the early 2000s, she was living in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Ballet, gymnastics and education
She 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 UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where she studied civil engineering.
Govere was the first black female gymnast to represent Zimbabwe in artistic gymnastics at the September 1999 All Africa Games. At 12 years of age, she was also the youngest member of the 162-member team.
Charity work
In 2000, Govere began collecting clothing for orphans who lost their parents to AIDS. By 2002, the Kijana Project, as it came to be called, had expanded to an international organization run by then-15-year-old Govere and her sister, consisting of 50 members who aid orphans in six different countries, raising money for clothing, toys and school supplies, as well as paying for the education of many AIDS orphans. Govere was spurred to this work after witnessing many of her childhood classmates contract HIV from vaccinations using dirty needles.Govere was designated a Disney-UNESCO Millennium Dreamers Ambassador, and has also worked with her sisters in collecting money for Red Cross flood relief in Mozambique.
Music and television
Govere was discovered by Alicia KeysAlicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
' Grammy Award-winning producer, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, who had heard a song Govere placed on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
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
Love Is 4 Suckaz/I'm a Sucka 4 Love
Love Is 4 Suckaz/I'm a Sucka 4 Love is the first official mixtape from Zimbabwean singer/songwriter Andra. It is produced by Kerry Brothers, Jr. , Zeke MacUmber, and Andra herself. It was released in July, 2010.-Track listing:writing_credits = yes...
", some songs from which are available on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Although Govere planned to debut a 2011 album with Krucial, She announced in October 2011 that she left Krucial in order to take the independent route.
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".
Govere is a cast member on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's The Real World: San Diego
The Real World: San Diego (2011)
The Real World: San Diego is the twenty-sixth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships...
, which premiered on September 28, 2011.
Personal life
As of 2011, Govere was living in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with her boyfriend, Byron, whom she began seeing eight months prior to filming The Real World.
External links
- "White Swans". YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. accessed August 4, 2011. - "White Swans". on LupE.N.D. accessed August 4, 2011.
- "White Swans" Hulkshare. accessed August 4, 2011.
- "White Swans" on Ammon-Ra Dot Net. accessed August 4, 2011.