All Topics  
Shona music

 
Shona Music

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Shona music
 
 
  Topics Shona music Topic Home

Shona music is the music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music 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 several groups of people in Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique. Numbering about nine million people, who speak a range of related dialects whose standardized form is also known as Shona language ....
 of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
. There are several different types of traditional Shona music including mbira
Mbira

In Music of Zimbabwe, the mbira is a musical instrument consisting of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a deze that functions as a resonator....
, singing
Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the human voice, which is often contrasted with regular speech. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist....
, hosho
Hosho (instrument)

The hosho are Zimbabwean musical instruments consisting of a pair of Maranka gourds with seeds. Typically we put hota seeds inside them. The hosho are used to accompany Shona music, especially mbira music....
 and drumming. Very often, this music will be accompanied by dancing
Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to Motion of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of Emotional expression, social social interaction or presented in a spirituality 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.

Main article: Mbira
Mbira

In Music of Zimbabwe, the mbira is a musical instrument consisting of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a deze that functions as a resonator....


The mbira is a traditional instrument of the Shona People often used in religious ceremonies.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Shona music'
Start a new discussion about 'Shona music'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Shona music is the music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music 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 several groups of people in Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique. Numbering about nine million people, who speak a range of related dialects whose standardized form is also known as Shona language ....
 of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
. There are several different types of traditional Shona music including mbira
Mbira

In Music of Zimbabwe, the mbira is a musical instrument consisting of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a deze that functions as a resonator....
, singing
Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the human voice, which is often contrasted with regular speech. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist....
, hosho
Hosho (instrument)

The hosho are Zimbabwean musical instruments consisting of a pair of Maranka gourds with seeds. Typically we put hota seeds inside them. The hosho are used to accompany Shona music, especially mbira music....
 and drumming. Very often, this music will be accompanied by dancing
Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to Motion of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of Emotional expression, social social interaction or presented in a spirituality 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

Mbira Dzavadzimu
Main article: Mbira
Mbira

In Music of Zimbabwe, the mbira is a musical instrument consisting of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a deze that functions as 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
Mbira

In Music of Zimbabwe, the mbira is a musical instrument consisting of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a deze that functions as a resonator....
 and Mbira Nyunga Nyunga
Mbira

In Music of Zimbabwe, the mbira is a musical instrument consisting of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a deze that functions as a resonator....
.

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

Hosho can refer to several things:*Japanese aircraft carrier Hosho, launched in 1921*Hosho , school of Noh theatre*Hosho , a Zimbabwean musical instrument...
 (a rattle) and responds to the improvised lyrics of the singer and, most importantly, embellishes and complements the lead vocal melody. (Garfias 1971)

Drumming


Drums are always associated with dance and can be used for various dances.

Mhande Drums

  1. Shauro- used for the lead rhythm
  2. Tsinhiro- used for the response rhythm


Dinhe Drums

  1. Mhito- used for the lead rhythm
  2. Mitumba miviri- used for the response rhythm


Chokoto Drums

(these are two headed)
  1. Chimudumbana- small, for lead rhythm
  2. Chigubha- big, for response rhythm


Hosho

Hosho
Main article: Hosho
Hosho (instrument)

The hosho are Zimbabwean musical instruments consisting of a pair of Maranka gourds with seeds. Typically we put hota seeds inside them. The hosho are used to accompany Shona music, especially mbira music....


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 Mapfumo
Thomas 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....
, Stella Chiweshe
Stella Chiweshe

Stella Chiweshe is a Zimbabwean musician. She is internationally known for her singing and playing of the mbira, 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 language 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 Rhodesian Bush War against the British settler's minority re...
 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 Maraire
Dumisani Maraire

Abraham Dumisani Maraire , known to friends as "Dumi," was a master performer of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona people ethnic group of Zimbabwe....
, 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 people ethnic group of Zimbabwe....
, and Erica Azim
Erica Azim

Erica Azim is one of the leading western authorities on and practitioners of Music of Zimbabwe mbira music. She is currently based in Berkeley, California, 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 and Colorado, where there a...
.

Shona music on Marimba
Marimba

The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion instrument family. Keys or bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys to aid the performer both visually and physically....

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


Zimbabwean

  • Dumisani Maraire
    Dumisani Maraire

    Abraham Dumisani Maraire , known to friends as "Dumi," was a master performer of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona people ethnic group of Zimbabwe....
     Came to University of Washington in 1968, seeded Zimbabwean music in the Northwest.
  • 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 people ethnic group of Zimbabwe....
  • Garikayi Tirikoti
  • Forward Kwenda
    Forward Kwenda

    Forward Kwenda is one of the most respected mbira performers in Zimbabwe. He was born in the rural Buhera area of Zimbabwe, an area known for its fierce resistance to colonial rulers and respect for Shona tradition....
  • Stella Chiweshe
    Stella Chiweshe

    Stella Chiweshe is a Zimbabwean musician. She is internationally known for her singing and playing of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona people of Zimbabwe....
  • Chris Mhlanga
  • Chartwell Dutiro
    Chartwell Dutiro

    Chartwell 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....
  • Beauler Dyoko
  • Cosmas Magaya
    Cosmas Magaya

    Cosmas Magaya is a renowned Zimbabwean mbira player and teacher. He was born in 1953 in Zimbabwe, and grew up in the rural areas surrounging Mhondoro....
  • Hakurotwi Mude
  • Chiwoniso Maraire
    Chiwoniso Maraire

    Chiwoniso Maraire . Daughter of famed mbira master Dumisani Maraire, she is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and exponent of East African music....
  • Garadziva Chigamba
  • Tute Chigamba
  • chamuchii
also
  • Thomas Mapfumo
    Thomas 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....
     associated with Chimurenga music
    Chimurenga music

    Chimurenga music is a Zimbabwean popular music genre coined by and popularised by Thomas Mapfumo. Chimurenga is a Shona language word for struggle....
    .
  • Oliver Mtukudzi
  • Gandanga
    Gandanga

    Gandanga 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....


Western

  • Erica Azim
    Erica Azim

    Erica Azim is one of the leading western authorities on and practitioners of Music of Zimbabwe mbira music. She is currently based in Berkeley, California, 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 and Colorado, where there a...
  • Chris Berry
    Chris Berry

    Chris Berry is a master of both mbira and the Ngoma drums 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....
  • Ikeme
  • Sheree Seretse
  • Chris Zorn
  • Stephen Golovnin
  • Masanga Marimba Ensemble
  • Herbert Schwamborn
    Herbert Schwamborn

    Herbert Schwamborn is a Zimbabwean born film and music producer. Born in 1973 in Mbare, Harare, Zimbabwe to a German father and Zimbabwean mother....


See also

  • Chimurenga
    Chimurenga

    Chimurenga is a Shona language 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 Rhodesian Bush War against the British settler's minority re...
  • Hosho
    Hosho

    Hosho can refer to several things:*Japanese aircraft carrier Hosho, launched in 1921*Hosho , school of Noh theatre*Hosho , a Zimbabwean musical instrument...
  • Marimba (Zimbabwean)
    Marimba

    The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion instrument family. Keys or bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys to aid the performer both visually and physically....
  • Mbira
    Mbira

    In Music of Zimbabwe, the mbira is a musical instrument consisting of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a deze that functions as a resonator....
  • Music of Africa
    Music of Africa

    The music of Africa is as vast and varied as the continent's many Regions of Africa, List of African countries and ethnic groups. Although there is no distinctly pan-African music, there are common forms of musical expression, especially within Regions of Africa....
  • Music of Zimbabwe
    Music of Zimbabwe

    Zimbabwean music includes folk music and popular music styles, much of it based on the well-known instrument the mbira which is also popular in many other African countries....
  • Shona language
    Shona language

    Shona is a Bantu languages, 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, namely Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore....
  • Shona people
    Shona people

    Shona is the name collectively given to several groups of people in Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique. Numbering about nine million people, who speak a range of related dialects whose standardized form is also known as Shona language ....
  • Bantu language
  • Zimbabwe
    Zimbabwe

    Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....


Recordings

  • Nonesuch
    Nonesuch Records

    Nonesuch Records is an United States record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records....
     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 Berliner
    Paul Berliner

    Paul Berliner is a twentieth century ethnomusicologist, best known for specializing in African Music as well as Jazz and other improvisational systems....
  • Musical instruments 2: (LP) Reeds (Mbira). (1972) The Music of Africa series. 1 LP disc. 33 1/3 rpm. mono. 12 in. Recorded by Hugh Tracey
    Hugh Tracey

    Hugh Tracey was an important twentieth century ethnomusicologist. He and his wife collected and archived music from Southern and Central Africa....
    . Kaleidophone, KMA 2.
  • Mbira Music of Rhodesia, Performed by Abram Dumisani Maraire
    Dumisani Maraire

    Abraham Dumisani Maraire , known to friends as "Dumi," was a master performer of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona people ethnic group of Zimbabwe....
    . (1972). Seattle: University of Washington Press, Ethnic Music Series. Garfias, R. (Ed.). 1 LP disc. 33 1/3 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, Hugh
    Hugh Tracey

    Hugh Tracey was an important twentieth century ethnomusicologist. He and his wife collected and archived music from Southern and Central Africa....
    . (1961). The evolution of African music and its function in the present day. Johannesburg: Institute for the Study of Man in Africa.
  • Tracey, Hugh
    Hugh Tracey

    Hugh Tracey was an important twentieth century ethnomusicologist. He and his wife collected and archived music from Southern and Central Africa....
    . (1969). The Mbira class of African Instruments in Rhodesia (1932). African Music Society Journal, 4:3, 78-95.


External links

  • Urban Culture
  • Annual Zimbabwean Music Festival in North America
  • Solomon Murungu's Shona Music Site
  • Erica Azim's site, based in Berkeley
    Berkeley, California

    Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland, California and Emeryville, California....
    , CA
  • Shona Music site and mailing list