The matepe is a type of lamellophone played in North-Eastern 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...

. It is primarily played by the Kore-Kore people which is a subgroup 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:...

.

It is one of the five main types of 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...

 played in Zimbabwe, and is sometimes also called hera.

The matepe has a different playing style than other mbira in that it uses both thumbs and both index fingers. Four or five independent melodies are played simultaneously in traditional matepe music. The traditional music is used for spirit possession ceremonies, known in Zimbabwe as a bira ceremony.

External links

• Available recordings of the matepe: The International Library of African Music
  International Library of African Music
  The International Library of African Music is an organization dedicated to the preservation and study of African music. It is seated in Grahamstown, South Africa and is closely affiliated with Rhodes University....
  
  has many field recordings dating back to the mid-1950s. Those recordings are being rereleased on Roots World records.
• Chake Chawasarira: Magore-Kore.
• Rattletree Matepe discussion forum