Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
DOMBOSHAVA’S Mbira Dzepadombo Ensemble will be among featured groups at this year’s Bira reMbira National Festival, bringing the area’s rich mbira traditions to the national cultural showcase at the Glamis Arena on Friday.
The third edition of Bira reMbira, which starts at 10am on September 25 and runs through to the morning of September 26, will bring together leading “gwenyambiras” master mbira players in a celebration of traditional acoustic music, spiritual heritage and the country’s mbira value chain.
The festival is being held under the theme “Roots to Markets – Empowering Makers, Players and Markets”, according to the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture’s official festival brief.
The festival is being held with support from the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
For Mbira Dzepadombo, the festival provides an important national platform to showcase the cultural traditions of Domboshava while highlighting ongoing efforts to preserve and pass on mbira knowledge to younger generations.
The ensemble was initiated by Dr Pearson Pfavayi, a tourism and cultural heritage advocate who recognised the deep cultural and spiritual connection between mbira music and the Domboshava community.
The group has been selected as one of the featured ensembles at Bira reMbira 2026 in recognition of its artistry, cultural preservation work and performance standards.
It will be led by master “gwenyambira,” Sekuru Thomas Chiombera, alongside Percy Dandiro, David Matiza and Nokutenda Kadzima.
Dr Pfavayi said the group’s participation was part of a broader effort to ensure that mbira remains a living cultural tradition rather than merely a historical artefact.
“Mbira is a sacred art form and a foundational pillar of our Zimbabwean cultural heritage that we must actively honour, preserve and identify with. Through Mbira Dzepadombo, we seek to safeguard these ancient rhythms while creating opportunities for people to learn, experience and appreciate their cultural significance,” he said.
The group’s activities are closely linked to Basecamp Domboshava, which serves as the home of Mbira Dzepadombo.
Situated at the foot of the historic Domboshava Caves and granite mountain, Basecamp Domboshava brings together cultural heritage preservation, community arts and adventure tourism.
A Mbira Training Centre is set to commence training on October 10, offering structured lessons to local youths, national students and international visitors in traditional mbira tuning, crafting and playing techniques.
The training centre forms part of the broader cultural activities being developed at Basecamp Domboshava, which also operates alongside Domboview Adventures, providing a base for guided cave hikes, team-building activities, art gallery sales and traditional food experiences.
Dr Pfavayi said the forthcoming training programme would help strengthen the inter-generational transmission of mbira knowledge.
“By establishing Mbira Dzepadombo and our dedicated Mbira Training Centre at Basecamp Domboshava, our mission is to preserve traditional knowledge and skills while opening the mbira experience to young Zimbabweans, visitors and international audiences,” he said.
The 2026 Bira reMbira festival will feature a wide range of artistes and mbira groups, including Victor Kunonga, Feli Nandi, Andy Muridzo, Duramazwi, Nyamasvisva Nemaungira Enharira, Amadhuve, Sasha, Kurai Makore, Mangwenya, Diana Samkange, Vee Mhofu, Texas Tekenya, Jah Lemmy, Gushungo, Jaka Band, Lioness Shumbakadzi, Ntswai Ntswai Arts, Brity Yonly, NzombeHuru Mbira Ensemble, Pauline Mafriq, Tatu Maluba, Dzambira, Mbira Dzenharo, Ambuya Mavhu Mbira Group, Chikwata 263, Batroy Movement, Nemachinda Ehondo Crew, Nina X and Zariyah Roots Band, Professor Muzvinafundo, Sekuru Gore and Mazana Movement, Ruyamuro Mbira Crew, Rose Wembira, Madzimambo Edu Mbira Family, Culture Livingstone, Dzimbanwe Mbira Crew, Pastoral Entertainment Group, Masimba Evanhu Mbira Group, Madzinza Embira, Dzamawuruka Mbira Band, Sekuru Mushore Mbira Custodians, Chishawasha Nhare Mbira Group, Izwi Remhondoro Mbira Group, Mbira Dzepadombo, Jangu Wiriranai Arts and Mbira Group and Nelson Tswatswa.
The extensive line-up reflects the organisers’ intention to bring together established musicians, emerging performers and traditional mbira ensembles under one platform.
Festival organiser Benjamin “Benjie” Nyandoro said Bira reMbira was designed to create a meeting point for musicians, cultural practitioners, audiences and the wider creative economy.
“Bira reMbira is more than a music event. It is a platform for Zimbabweans to celebrate their heritage while creating opportunities for musicians, instrument makers, cultural practitioners and young creatives. Our intention is to connect the roots of mbira with markets so that those who preserve and promote this heritage can also find sustainable opportunities within the creative economy,” he said.
The festival will provide a free-to-the-public cultural experience and will feature established and emerging mbira musicians, school ensembles and young creative collectives.
There will also be exhibitions showcasing mbira instruments, national fabric, herbs and medicinal plants, indigenous foods and other expressions of Zimbabwe’s diverse cultural heritage.
A major feature of this year’s festival will be a special tribute honouring the late Mbuya Stella Chiweshe, one of Zimbabwe’s foremost mbira practitioners and cultural ambassadors.
The Ministry’s official brief states that the festival will honour her through dedicated performances of her songs in a commemorative segment highlighting her influence on contemporary mbira practice.
Her artistic journey, leadership and longstanding commitment to the mbira tradition inspired generations of musicians, cultural practitioners and mbira custodians.
The tribute will form part of a broader celebration of Zimbabwe’s living heritage, with performers using the festival to demonstrate how the mbira continues to evolve while remaining rooted in traditional practice.
For Mbira Dzepadombo, the Bira reMbira appearance will be followed by another community-focused engagement when the ensemble is scheduled to perform at the Pinktober Breast Cancer Awareness Event on October 31.
The performance will form part of activities supporting cancer survivors and breast cancer awareness.
The continued involvement of Mbira Dzepadombo in cultural, tourism and community initiatives reflects the group’s broader objective of using mbira as a vehicle for cultural education, heritage preservation and community engagement.
The Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture has said Bira reMbira complements the Government’s broader cultural development agenda by creating platforms for heritage preservation, youth participation, creative enterprise, skills development, market access and cultural diplomacy.
As Glamis Arena prepares to host the overnight cultural gathering, Mbira Dzepadombo will carry with it the sounds and traditions of Domboshava, giving audiences an opportunity to experience a living heritage that continues to evolve while remaining rooted in Zimbabwean cultural identity.
