Shona music
Encyclopedia
Shona music is the music
of the Shona people
of Zimbabwe
. There are several different types of traditional Shona music including mbira
, singing
, hosho
and drumming. Very often, this music will be accompanied by dancing
, and participation by the audience. In Shona music, there is little distinction between the performer and the audience, both are often actively involved in the music-making, and both are important in the religious ceremonies where Shona Music is often heard.
The mbira is a traditional instrument of the Shona People often used in religious ceremonies. There are several different varieties of mbira including the Mbira Dzavadzimu and Mbira Nyunga Nyunga.
Shona music is well known as representative of mbira ("thumb piano") music. The performer of the "kushaura" (lead mbira part) often acts also as the lead vocalist, selecting a known melody or mbira pattern to accompany selected lyrics, usually a phrase or a few lines of text which are then commented upon improvisationally. The performer of the "kutsinira" (second mbira part) plays a pattern which interlocks with the "kushaura" in a way that creates the repeated notes which identify mbira music. The "kutsinira" part is often the same part as the "kushaura", but played a half a beat later. The mbira players are accompanied by another less active singer who plays the hosho
(a rattle) and responds to the improvised lyrics of the singer and, most importantly, embellishes and complements the lead vocal melody. (Garfias 1971)
Shona music is often accompanied by the hosho, a hollowed-out maranka gourd containing hota seeds or other objects that is shaken to generate a sound.
, Stella Chiweshe
, and Oliver Mtukudzi. This music is also associated with the Chimurenga
movement.
, Ephat Mujuru
, and Erica Azim
.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of the Shona people
Shona people
Shona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
of Zimbabwe
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...
. There are several different types of traditional Shona music including mbira
Mbira
In African music, the mbira is a musical instrument that consists of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a resonator...
, singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, hosho
Hosho (instrument)
The hosho are Zimbabwean musical instruments consisting of a pair of Maranka gourds with seeds. They typically contain hota seeds inside them. The hosho are used to accompany Shona music, especially mbira music. They make a rattling sound that western ears may be unaccustomed to hearing...
and drumming. Very often, this music will be accompanied by dancing
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, and participation by the audience. In Shona music, there is little distinction between the performer and the audience, both are often actively involved in the music-making, and both are important in the religious ceremonies where Shona Music is often heard.
Mbira
- Main article: MbiraMbiraIn African music, the mbira is a musical instrument that consists of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a resonator...
The mbira is a traditional instrument of the Shona People often used in religious ceremonies. There are several different varieties of mbira including the Mbira Dzavadzimu and Mbira Nyunga Nyunga.
Shona music is well known as representative of mbira ("thumb piano") music. The performer of the "kushaura" (lead mbira part) often acts also as the lead vocalist, selecting a known melody or mbira pattern to accompany selected lyrics, usually a phrase or a few lines of text which are then commented upon improvisationally. The performer of the "kutsinira" (second mbira part) plays a pattern which interlocks with the "kushaura" in a way that creates the repeated notes which identify mbira music. The "kutsinira" part is often the same part as the "kushaura", but played a half a beat later. The mbira players are accompanied by another less active singer who plays the hosho
Hosho (instrument)
The hosho are Zimbabwean musical instruments consisting of a pair of Maranka gourds with seeds. They typically contain hota seeds inside them. The hosho are used to accompany Shona music, especially mbira music. They make a rattling sound that western ears may be unaccustomed to hearing...
(a rattle) and responds to the improvised lyrics of the singer and, most importantly, embellishes and complements the lead vocal melody. (Garfias 1971)
Chokoto Drums
(these are two headed)- Chimudumbana- small, for lead rhythm
- Chigubha- big, for response rhythm
Hosho
- Main article: HoshoHosho (instrument)The hosho are Zimbabwean musical instruments consisting of a pair of Maranka gourds with seeds. They typically contain hota seeds inside them. The hosho are used to accompany Shona music, especially mbira music. They make a rattling sound that western ears may be unaccustomed to hearing...
Shona music is often accompanied by the hosho, a hollowed-out maranka gourd containing hota seeds or other objects that is shaken to generate a sound.
Modern
Traditional Shona music has been adapted to modern instruments such as electric guitars and western drumsets, for example by musicians such as Thomas MapfumoThomas Mapfumo
Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo is a Zimbabwean musician known as "The Lion of Zimbabwe" and "Mukanya" for his immense popularity and for the political influence he wields through his music, including his sharp criticism of the government of President Robert Mugabe...
, Stella Chiweshe
Stella Chiweshe
Stella Chiweshe is a Zimbabwean musician. She is internationally known for her singing and playing of the mbira dzavadzimu, a traditional instrument of the Shona people of Zimbabwe...
, and Oliver Mtukudzi. This music is also associated with the Chimurenga
Chimurenga
Chimurenga is a Shona word for 'revolutionary struggle'. The word's modern interpretation has been extended to describe a struggle for human rights, political dignity and social justice, specifically used for the African insurrections against British colonial rule 1896–1897 and the guerrilla war...
movement.
Shona music in the West
Shona music has become popular in the West and even in the East such as Japan. In the United States, Shona music has become popular in Colorado, California, and the Pacific Northwest, largely due to the seeding influence of musicians such as Dumisani MaraireDumisani Maraire
Abraham Dumisani Maraire , known to friends as "Dumi," was a master performer of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe. He specialized in the form of mbira called nyunga nyunga, as well as the Zimbabwean marimba...
, Ephat Mujuru
Ephat Mujuru
Ephat Mujuru , a Zimbabwean musician, was one of the 20th century's finest players of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe.-Biography:...
, and Erica Azim
Erica Azim
Erica Azim is one of the leading western authorities on and practitioners of Zimbabwean mbira music. She is currently based in Berkeley, California, and makes frequent trips to Zimbabwe to record music, as well as visits around the US to teach mbira, particularly to areas in the Pacific Northwest...
.
Shona music on Marimba
Shona marimbas are diatonic and are made with F#'s and without. They are different from other marimbas through their larger keys and resonators beneath the keys (to produce a buzzing sound). Often traditional mbira songs are translated to the marimba.Musicians
- Chartwell DutiroChartwell DutiroChartwell Shorayi Dutiro started playing mbira when he was four at the protected village, Kagande, about two hours drive from Harare where his family was moved by the Salvation Army missionaries during the Chimurenga. Even though the missionaries had banned traditional music, he learned to play...
- Chiwoniso MaraireChiwoniso MaraireChiwoniso Maraire is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and exponent of Zimbabwean mbira music. She is the daughter of famed mbira master Dumisani Maraire....
- Chris BerryChris BerryChris Berry is a master of both mbira and the ngoma drum, from the Shona people of Southern Africa. He has earned the title of gwenyambira , a distinction reserved only for those who have achieved the highest fusion of the technical and the magical in Shona music...
- Cosmas MagayaCosmas MagayaCosmas Magaya is a renowned Zimbabwean mbira player and teacher. Raised in the rural areas surrounging Mhondoro, he appears in the recordings of longime friend and musicologist Paul Berliner's The Soul of Mbira released by Nonesuch Records....
- Dumisani MaraireDumisani MaraireAbraham Dumisani Maraire , known to friends as "Dumi," was a master performer of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe. He specialized in the form of mbira called nyunga nyunga, as well as the Zimbabwean marimba...
- Ephat MujuruEphat MujuruEphat Mujuru , a Zimbabwean musician, was one of the 20th century's finest players of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe.-Biography:...
- Erica AzimErica AzimErica Azim is one of the leading western authorities on and practitioners of Zimbabwean mbira music. She is currently based in Berkeley, California, and makes frequent trips to Zimbabwe to record music, as well as visits around the US to teach mbira, particularly to areas in the Pacific Northwest...
- Forward KwendaForward KwendaForward Kwenda is a mbira performer from Zimbabwe. He was born in the rural Buhera area in Manicaland, an area known for its fierce resistance to colonial rulers and respect for Shona tradition. As a young boy, Forward excelled in traditional dance and recitation of ancient poetry...
- GandangaGandangaGandanga is a Zimbabwean word from the Shona language spoken by the Zezuru people.The word "Gandanga" is a popular term referring to the Guerrilla soldiers who fought during the Zimbabwean liberation struggle against Rhodesia...
- Fabio Chivhanda
- Herbert SchwambornHerbert SchwambornHerbert Schwamborn is a Zimbabwean born film and music producer, also known by his artist name of Metaphysics. He is most famous for being a member of the multi-platinum selling German band Söhne Mannheims...
- James ChimombeJames ChimombeJames Chimombe was a Zimbabwean vocalist and a guitarist. His career included stints with OK Success, the Acid Band, the Ocean City Band, and the Huchi Band. His music melded Kenyan, South African, and Congolese influences into Zimbabwean music...
- Oliver Mtukudzi
- Stella ChiwesheStella ChiwesheStella Chiweshe is a Zimbabwean musician. She is internationally known for her singing and playing of the mbira dzavadzimu, a traditional instrument of the Shona people of Zimbabwe...
- Thomas MapfumoThomas MapfumoThomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo is a Zimbabwean musician known as "The Lion of Zimbabwe" and "Mukanya" for his immense popularity and for the political influence he wields through his music, including his sharp criticism of the government of President Robert Mugabe...
See also
- ChimurengaChimurengaChimurenga is a Shona word for 'revolutionary struggle'. The word's modern interpretation has been extended to describe a struggle for human rights, political dignity and social justice, specifically used for the African insurrections against British colonial rule 1896–1897 and the guerrilla war...
- Ngororombe
- Marimba (Zimbabwean)
- Music of AfricaMusic of AfricaAfrica is a vast continent and its regions and nations have distinct musical traditions. The music of North Africa for the most part has a different history from sub-Saharan African music traditions....
- Music of ZimbabweMusic of ZimbabweZimbabwean music includes folk and pop styles, much of it based on the well-known instrument the mbira which is also popular in many other African countries. An annual Zimbabwe Music Festival is held each year in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. People from all over the world attend...
- Shona languageShona languageShona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
- Shona peopleShona peopleShona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
- Bantu language
- ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe 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...
Recordings
- NonesuchNonesuch RecordsNonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...
Explorer Series 79703-2, Zimbabwe: The African Mbira: Music of the Shona People (2002). Liner notes by Robert Garfias (1971). - Nonesuch Explorer Series 79704 Zimbabwe: The Soul of Mbira: Traditions of the Shona People (1973). Produced by Paul BerlinerPaul BerlinerPaul Franklin Berliner is an American ethnomusicologist, best known for specializing in African music as well as jazz and other improvisational systems. He is best known for his popular ethnomusicology book on the Zimbabwean mbira, The Soul of Mbira: music and traditions of the Shona people of...
- Musical instruments 2: (LP) Reeds (Mbira). (1972) The Music of Africa series. 1 LP disc. 33 rpm. mono. 12 in. Recorded by Hugh TraceyHugh TraceyHugh Tracey was an important twentieth century ethnomusicologist. He and his wife collected and archived music from Southern and Central Africa. He began making field recordings of music in the early 20's, through the 70's....
. Kaleidophone, KMA 2. - Mbira Music of Rhodesia, Performed by Abram Dumisani MaraireDumisani MaraireAbraham Dumisani Maraire , known to friends as "Dumi," was a master performer of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe. He specialized in the form of mbira called nyunga nyunga, as well as the Zimbabwean marimba...
. (1972). Seattle: University of Washington Press, Ethnic Music Series. Garfias, R. (Ed.). 1 LP disc. 33 rpm. mono. 12 in. UWP-1001. This disc features Maraire exclusively on Nyunga Nyunga mbira. A 12-page booklet by Maraire is included, describing the background, composition, and performance of nyunga-nyunga mbira music.
Further reading
- Tracey, Andrew. (1970). How to play the mbira (dza vadzimu). Roodepoort, Transvaal, South Africa: International Library of African Music.
- Tracey, HughHugh TraceyHugh Tracey was an important twentieth century ethnomusicologist. He and his wife collected and archived music from Southern and Central Africa. He began making field recordings of music in the early 20's, through the 70's....
. (1961). The evolution of African music and its function in the present day. Johannesburg: Institute for the Study of Man in Africa. - Tracey, HughHugh TraceyHugh Tracey was an important twentieth century ethnomusicologist. He and his wife collected and archived music from Southern and Central Africa. He began making field recordings of music in the early 20's, through the 70's....
. (1969). The Mbira class of African Instruments in Rhodesia (1932). African Music Society Journal, 4:3, 78-95.
External links
- Zimbabwe Music Vibes Promoting Urban Culture
- ZimFest Annual Zimbabwean Music Festival in North America
- Zambuko Solomon Murungu's Shona Music Site
- Mbira.org Erica Azim's site, based in BerkeleyBerkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, CA - Dandemutande Shona Music site and mailing list