Traditional concert traces mbira roots

Arts Reporter

Dzimbanhete Arts Interactions that is housed near Snake World along Harare-Bulawayo highway is tomorrow scheduled to hold a historical mbira music event, dubbed “Mbira Orchestra 2016 – Mazwi Epasichigare”. DAI noted that the event will seek to revisit original mbira sounds and give insight into the background of the music and the instrument.“This Mbira Orchestra, with the title ‘Mazwi Epasichigare (Ancient Voices)’, unlike most mbira concerts or ensembles, is intended to bring together the very original tunes of the mbira instrument all in one band. Tunes like Nhemamusasa, Mahororo, Chakwi, Bangiza, Mavembe, Nyabango and Taireva among others will be performed to show how the music has evolved.

“We will also have two rare tunes, which according to our research are the most relevant to the times we are living now and these are Chipindura and Garaurimo,” said DIA director Chikonzero Chazunguza.

Experienced mbira players from some of the most significant mbira groups in the country will make up the combination to stage the bira.

These include Garikayi Tirikoti, Dainos, Tendayi Gahamadze, Joyce Warikandwa, Benita Tarupiwa, Itai Tirikoti, Murungweni Mutinhiri, Irene Chigamba, Carter Kachowa.

The mbira players will make up one group that will also include Tafadzwa Goredema on ngoma and Tendai Kazuru on hosho.

“The history of Mbira music is inseparable from and deeply encrypted in the history of Africans particularly those in the modern day Zimbabwe. This instrument and the music itself present the very narrative of whom we are and where we came from as a people.

“By researching on the original tunes of the mbira instrument and music, one cannot help, but gain lots of appreciation of this instrument as a significant era-peg in the historical migration and identity of the modern day Zimbabwean,” said Chazunguza.

He added that each important period in our history was marked by a particular mbira tune germane to the incidences, aspirations of that time and history. The event will start at 2pm with the opening of a mbira exhibition and brief outlines of the origins of each tune. Thereafter, Dendemaro Mbira group will fire-up the stage before the mbira combination explodes.