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Mbira (/ ə m ˈ b ɪər ə / əm-BEER-ə) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe.They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs (at minimum), the right forefinger (most mbira), and sometimes the left forefinger.
It is one of the five main types of mbira played in Zimbabwe. The matepe is an umbrella term for many mbira-style instruments such as hera, matepe, and madhebhe. [1] The matepe, according to Sekuru Chigamba, has soundboards that are made of wood from mutiti (Erythrina abyssinica) or mupepe (Commiphora marlothii) trees. [2]
The Array mbira / ə m ˈ b ɪər ə / is a handcrafted modern musical instrument with a unique harp- or bell-like sound. It is made in the United States by its inventor Bill Wesley and manufactured by Wesley with Patrick Hadley in San Diego, California, United States.
An Mbira dzavadzimu. 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 ...
Often accompanied by the hosho, a percussion instrument, the mbira is often an important instrument that people play at religious ceremonies, weddings, and other social gatherings. The mbira plays a central role in the traditional Bira ceremony used to call on ancestral spirits. [14] The instrument is a central piece in their religious rituals.
Mbira dzeNharira revolutionized the sound of mbira by electrifying and rearranging the instruments into bass baritone, rhythm and lead mbira.The ancient 22 key mbira dzavadzimu was a three octave instrument with the keys on the right standing for lead keys, on the upper left is the rhythm section, and on the bottom left is the bass section.
Abraham Dumisani Maraire (27 December 1944 – 25 November 1999), known to friends as "Dumi", was a Zimbabwean musician. He was a master performer of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona people of Zimbabwe.
A deze Deze with an mbira Dzavadzimu in the typical configuration. In Zimbabwean Shona music, a deze is a halved calabash gourd that an mbira is placed into to amplify its sound. It is typically round and has bottle caps, shells or other objects strung around its perimeter to vibrate with the mbira, creating a buzzing sound.