Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
MBIRA star Virimai “Vee Mhofu” Nhedenga is on cloud nine following an international collaboration with American singer Chris Berry and Australian music students.
He described the project, titled “Chadya Mukonde” as a significant milestone in his musical journey.
Berry was recently in Zimbabwe with his Australian students, whom he was teaching how to play the mbira, providing Vee Mhofu with an opportunity to work with the internationally acclaimed musician and the budding instrumentalists.
For Vee Mhofu, the collaboration goes beyond music as it highlights the growing international interest in Zimbabwe’s indigenous instrument.
“In line with the Mbira Month, which is currently underway, I have just released a single featuring American singer Chris Berry, who was recently in the country,” Vee Mhofu told Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub.
“We took three days working on the song, which we recorded at KOM Studios under Knowledge Nkoma and Oscar Chamba.
“It was a marvel working with this amazing team which has been promoting our mbira instrument. By the way, the mbira instrument was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020.
“This makes mbira a sacred instrument due to its cultural significance that should be preserved at all costs.”
Vee Mhofu said the collaboration had further demonstrated the power of mbira to connect Zimbabwean musicians with audiences beyond the country’s borders. “This collaboration means a lot to me and my country because the mbira is now being recognised globally due to its impact.
“Locals, who are yet to embrace this instrument, should be ashamed of themselves because foreigners have fallen in love with it. It’s never too late for us to embrace this instrument whose cultural significance means a lot to us.”
The musician said collaborations of this nature were important in ensuring that Zimbabwe’s traditional music remained relevant to younger generations while also creating opportunities for local artistes to exchange ideas with musicians from other parts of the world.
He said the interest shown by international musicians and students in learning mbira was proof that the instrument had the potential to become an even stronger cultural export for Zimbabwe.
