Zimbabwe's Spritual Instrument
Suzie Lechtenberg
JUNE 28, 2008
- Mbira
- (iStockPhoto)
Related Stories
- Weekend Soundtrack: "Shattered" by the Rolling Stones
- Saving the Story
- Good News, Bad News, No News
- Eat Cake
More From Suzie Lechtenberg
In Zimbabwe this weekend, Robert Mugabe is expected to be sworn in as president after an election that our own president has called illegitimate. This after widespread reports of violence against the political opposition.
These days, when you think of Zimbabwe, the elections are probably your first thought. But for a lot of people, their first association is the mbira -- a musical instrument that's also called a thumb piano. It's a flat piece of wood with metal keys that you pluck with your thumbs and index fingers.
The Shona people in Zimbabwe use the mbira not just to make people dance, but as a way of summoning and communicating with ancestral spirits. Shona make up the majority of the people of Zimbabwe, and this music is central to their lives. There are many people living in the United States who play mbira -- we tracked a couple of them down.
-
- Music Bridge:
- Dangurangu
- Artist: Erica Azim
- CD: Earth Healing (Relaxation)
Comments
Comment | Refresh
From Winlaw, BC, 11/03/2008
Three good sources of mbira CDs are:
http://www.mbira.org
http://www.dandemutande.org
http://www.mhumhirecords.org
From Austin, TX, 06/28/2008
You can get my solo CD at my website: www.rattletree.com. There are also many other mbira CDs available at cdbaby.com. Just go there and do a search for "mbira".
Thanks for listening!
Joel
From Harrisburg, PA, 06/28/2008
Is any of this soothing music available on CDs?
Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Weekend America reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.
You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.