Tiffany Galus Telephone to the Spirits: Mbira Music in Shona Culture Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High

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1 Galus 1 Tiffany Galus Telephone to the Spirits: Mbira Music in Shona Culture Grade Level: Middle School/Junior High

2 Galus 2 Table of Contents Introduction page 1 Section I: Geographic and Historical Background page 2 Section II: Characteristics of Shona Music page 3 Musical Context page 3 Ceremonies page 4 Section III: The Instrument page 4 Tuning page 6 Technique page 7 Musical Form page 8 Vocals in Mbira Pieces page 9 Performers page 11 Conclusion page 12 Lesson Plan One: Differences in Western Music/Mbira Music page 13 Lesson Plan Two: Hwerure Game page 15 Lesson Plan Three: Improvising Shona Melodies page 18 Nyama musango page 19 Annotated Bibliography page 20 Also included: The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, volume 1, Africa. selected audio recordings: Tongore and Nyama Musango.

3 Galus 3 Telephone to the Spirits: Mbira Music in Shona Culture Introduction The mbira (pronounced mm-bee-ra, with a rolled r ) describes both the ancient percussion instrument used by the Shona people and a common musical genre in their culture. Mbira music is used both in sacred and secular settings, and is described as a piece with no defined beginning and no defined end; the music lives constantly within the mbira performers (Berliner, 112). The mbira serves a purpose beyond entertainment; mbira is performed as a way to contact the spirit world. The music and the language are much different than what our western ears are used to, and therefore I have provided a pronunciation key to assist both the instructor and students on how to pronounce the language of this culture. Shona(Bantu) vh n dh zvi r a e i o u English v sung d ee rolled father cake feet no smooth mouth saying zh IPA [β] [ŋ] [ʤ] [ʒ] [r] [a] [ɛ] [i] [ɔ] [u] This handbook will provide the information to aide in teaching a valuable lesson on the ancient tradition of Shona Mbira music. The pieces played by performers today can be up to 700 years old, and without a written notation system, the pieces are remembered for their remarkable nature. Your students will soon learn why the music has impacted the culture enough to remember the ancient art.

Galus 4 Section I: Geographic and Historical Background The Shona people flourish in the area between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers across Zimbabwe and trickle into areas of Mozambique and Zambia

4 Galus 4 Section I: Geographic and Historical Background The Shona people flourish in the area between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers across Zimbabwe and trickle into areas of Mozambique and Zambia (Berliner 18). They speak a dialect of Bantu throughout their communities, although the actual Shona-Bantu speaking group was not collectively known as the Shona until the 19 th century (Berliner 18). Known for their agriculture, the Shona prosper by their crop production; specifically maize. They also raise other crops, such as rise, groundnuts (peanuts), and sweet potatoes, but generate most of their income through maize (Shona Information 2). The Shona raise livestock such as sheep, chickens, and cattle; though cows are often used as a sign of wealth and prosperity. The traditional Shona are also known for their pottery, ironwork, and incredible musicianship (Shona 1). The Shona believe in a creator-god, Mwari, among spirits; specifically two types of spirits: Shave (wandering) spirits, and vadmizu (ancestor spirits) (Mbira.org 2). Great Zimbabwe, archaeological ruins radiocarbon dated around 600 A.D., was built by the ancestors of the Shona people (Information 2). The wandering spirits can be either benevolent or mischievous; the good spirits are said to inspire abilities such as music, drawing, or healing powers, and the bad spirits are associated with witchcraft and misfortune (Mbira.org 2). Vadmizu represent all that is idea and moral about the Shona way of life, and serve as protection for the Shona people, but the vadmizu can withdraw their protection if the Shona ideals are not upheld (Berliner 21).

5 Galus 5 The area that the Shona have settled was at one point owned and restricted by Britain s South Africa, which remained the area Rhodesia. After the Zimbabwe s liberation from South Africa, the term Rhodesia now only refers to the colonial period in Zimbabwe s history (Information). During the time period of , the white-minority rule dominated Zimbabwe, and guerilla warfare plagued the country. The Shona refer to this period also as The Struggle, or Chimurenga (Information). The struggle lasted from 1966 until 1980, and the return of the mbira occurred during this time period. Specifically, Ephat Mujuru became a political mbira artist when he performed symbolic songs about freedom (Information). The songs gave people hope, and more people began to absorb the ancestor s words and music and more performances were given, giving way to the return of mbira music. Section II: Characteristics of Shona Music Musical Context Music is very prominent in the Shona culture and children are exposed to music through games, storytelling, field/work songs, and beer songs as a reward for their labor in the fields (Berliner 21). The mbira is a main facet in the culture of the Shona people of Zimbabwe and Mozambique (Berliner 18). Both the instrument and musical style are used in all aspects of Shona culture, both sacred and secular. The Shona people believe that the mbira is a telephone to the spirits (National Geographic). The main purpose of the mbira is its use in religious ceremonies ( Biras ), such as death ceremonies, weddings, the inaugurations of new chiefs and government events such as Independence Day.

6 Galus 6 Mbira is required to bring rain during drought, stop rain during floods, and bring clouds to block the sun from burning the crops (Information). The mbira also chases away evil spirits and cures illness without a traditional herbalist (n anga) (National Geographic). Ceremonies The Shona have a very spiritual culture, and mbira is an essential part to many of their ceremonies. The terms Bira/Mapira define traditional religious ceremonies for the Shona s vadzimu (ancestral spirits). Specifically, at mapira only the favorite songs of the ancestor being reckoned may be performed (National Geographic). Dandaro are similar ceremonies to the mapira, but are less formal and involve spirit possession, modified for urban lifestyles (Mbira.org). The mbira is required to bring rain to the fields during a drought, and Mukwerera is a rain-making ceremony where mbira is played to summon rains to their dried crops (Information). The mbira is also required at death ceremonies; after the death of a chief or a community leader, music must be played constantly for a week before the community is informed of the leader s death (Information). Guva ceremonies are performed one year after a person s passing, and the mbira is used to welcome an individual s spirit back into the community (Mbira.org). Section III The Instrument The most common mbira with the Shona is the mbira dzavadzimu (mbira of the ancestor spirits); a metal-pronged percussion instrument that is often mislabeled as a thumb piano as a means to compare it to a Western-style instrument; a mold that the mbira does not fit (Berliner 8). The instrument is played with the thumbs and the right forefinger. The metal keys

7 Galus 7 are arranged in three tiers that the mbira master Ephat Mujuru called the voice of the children, the voice of the adults, and the voice of the elders (Berliner 9). The keys were traditionally made from extracted iron ore contained within stones, but eventually keys were molded out of discarded metal items such as bicycle spokes and metal springs (Mbira.org). The keys are mounted upon a soundboard (gwariva) made from the mubvamaropa tree (Berliner 17). The mbira is amplified by placing the mounted keys within a resonator called a deze, and a stick (mutsigo) is used to hold the mbira in place (Berliner 17). The mbira has a defining buzz quality to its sound; the buzz is created by metal beads strung on a wire, or bottle tops and shells mounted onto a metal plate placed on the bottom of the soundboard (Mbira.org). The buzz can vary from a hiss-like sound to a sound similar to a tambourine depending on the intensity of the items hitting metal. The buzz is an essential quality to the sound of the mbira because it clears the mind of thoughts and worries so that the mbira music can fill the consciousness of the performers and listeners (Mbira.org). The buzz can be interpreted also as whispering, tapping, knocking, wind or rain (Mbira.org). Some modern mbira musicians have controversially removed the buzzing from their mbiras to emphasize the pure tones of the metal keys (Berliner 18). There are five general types of the Shona mbira instrument including the karimba, mbira dzavandau, karimba, mbira dzavadzimu, and njari (Berliner 29). The simplest form of the mbira is the karimba which contains eight keys arranged on one manual, and the most complex is the matepe which can have as many as fifty-two keys on three or more tiers (Berliner 29). Here are some characteristics of the five different types of mbiras (Berliner 21):

8 Galus 8 Mbira Dzvadzimu Thick, wide keys with two rows of keys on the left side of their soundboard and one row on the right side. A finger hole can be located in the lower right hand corner of the soundboard. Karimba Short, flat keys that lie across the bridge of the instrument Matepe Thin, narrow, upward-curving keys, with a hollowed out soundboard. Njari a tray-shaped soundboard with a removed bottom wall. Mbira DzayaNdau the bass keys are arranged on the left and its scale ascends to the right. Tuning Mbira dzavadzimu with nyamaropa tuning. Similar to a western mixolydian mode; but in this setting A does not equal 440. The arrows point to what would be western octaves (Robinson). The mbira features a variety of tuning systems that are created by personal preference. The only technical requirement is that when two instruments are playing, they should generally agree on pitch (Mbira.org). All Shona mbira utilize seven distinct pitches duplicated in as many

Galus 9 as three western octaves (Berliner 29). Shona also replicate the same pitch on opposite sides of the mbira to create their signature tremolo effect (Berliner 29).

9 Galus 9 as three western octaves (Berliner 29). Shona also replicate the same pitch on opposite sides of the mbira to create their signature tremolo effect (Berliner 29). Most groups settle on their particular tuning and use it consistently throughout their performances (Mbira.org). If two or more mbiras are tuned differently, but the same composition is played upon them, it is considered to be the same piece as long as the keys are played in the same sequence (Berliner 27). Technique In order to become skilled mbira musicians, players must develop calloused thumbs and fingertips or grow out their fingernails (Berliner 37). Some musicians use a combination of both of these techniques in striking the keys with their coarse, calloused fingers and using their fingernails to support their hands. Metal rings made of thimble-like materials can be used as additional protection during religious ceremonies to aide in reducing the exertions that the metal puts on the performer s fingers (Berliner 37). Some musicians substitute petroleum jelly or other lubricants to reduce the friction of the keys (Berliner 37). Mbira players usually perform sitting down, with the mbira seated in their lap (Berliner 113). Performers sit with their backs straight, and their legs stretched out before them. The mbira player may tilt his head toward the side if they are trying to listen to the intensity of the mbira through one ear, and they may put their ear on the resonator in order to hear the sounds directly from the instrument (Berliner 113). Movement, such as swaying, is said to portray the musician s interest and expression of the music.

10 Galus 10 Only virtuosic mbira players are given the rare opportunity to take part in a solo performance (Mbira.org). The solo mbira performance requires a very complex solo style that must leave both the musician and the audience fully satisfied in both leading (kushaura), and intertwining (kutsinhira) sections. Musical Form Shona mbira pieces seem repetitive to the western ear, but are actually highly developed intertwined melodies with contrasting and syncopated rhythms based upon a cyclical pattern (Garland Recordings). Each mbira performance is similar to a jazz arrangement of a standard tune; the musical style leaves many possibilities for melodic and rhythmic variation, including the situations where two differently tuned mbiras are used (National Geographic). Therefore, there can be many different visions of the same piece. There are usually two parts to each mbira piece; a leading part and an intertwining or contrasting part (Berliner 114). Mbira music is said to have no beginning, because the music is constantly playing in the performers heads (Mbira.org). The leading part or kushaura, begins playing when he feels like jumping into a cycle, and the contrasting part, the kutsinhira, jumps into the performance after a few cycles, possibly at an entirely different point of entrance that the kushaura began playing (Berliner 88). When the musicians play a piece that is entirely new to them, the piece is not considered to be a new piece, rather, it is considered as a reminder from the ancient spirits of a piece dropped from the repertoire (Berliner 88). When the performers decide to end a piece, it is the end of the performance, there is no defined beginning or end to any mbira piece (Berliner 88).

11 Galus 11 Mbira music is often noted for its juxtaposition of 4/4 and 3/4 time (Berliner 106). Most mbira pieces can be thought of as four 12 beat phrases, and the 12 beats can be divided into four groups of three, three groups of four, or an intertwining of both (Berliner 106). The interlocking rhythmic parts result in a rich euphony and rhythmic texture. Once the two parts are intertwining in their cycle, different percussion instruments such as ngoma hand drums participate in the performance (National Geographic). The drums, however, are not used as a rhythmic foundation, rather the drums act as a conversation between the kushaura and kutsinhira (Berliner 106). Vocals in Mbira Pieces During a mbira performance, vocals can be added by both the performers and the listeners. If the vocals are added by the actual performers, they are usually added by one of the mbira players or an actual vocalist within the group. Kutsinhira, or response vocals can be added by other members in the group or the audience. Most mbira singing (huro) includes mahon era, low pitched syllabic singing without meaning; and magure which is high pitched syllabic singing also without meaning (Mbira.org). The two singing styles use the voice as a musical instrument to add another layer to their complex mbira music (Berliner 88). The voice is inspired by the ancestors of the Shona, and if song texts are used, most often the words are of the ancestors. Song texts can range from just a few repeated words or lengthy Shona poems. Some mbira pieces require only the lyrics related to that song, but often lyrics may be sung to any mbira piece (Mbira.org). Texts are often ancient wisdom in the Shona language, and others can be contemporary words about current events (like the political messages of Ephat Mujuru).

12 Galus 12 Texts that were not originated for singing purposes may be used as well, such as proverbs (tsumo), and praise poetry (nhetembo) (Mbira.org). The Shona use syllables or sounds that are used just to sing along with the melodic lines that are being performed called vocables. The vocables can be used in any succession and there are sample selections given for different sections of the vocals that are explained in the table below (Mbira.org): Bass lines Ha He Hi Ho Hu Hiya Huwa hereha Used to Nde Nda imitate the mbira Used Iye Ngore Iya Iyerere Ayowerere Iyowerere Iyo Yu most in (yodeling (from low aye iyare ya high lead from high to high iyere (shaura) to low) pitch) ayere singing Can be Wo woye used anytime

Galus 13 Performers Ephat Mujuru, a traditional mbira player, believed that when people play mbira music, it brought the two worlds together; the world the ancestors and the world of today (Mbira.

Throughout Zimbabwe s conflict with the constricting Rhodesia, Mujuru played subtly political mbira pieces with his performance group (Mbira.org).

13 Galus 13 Performers Ephat Mujuru, a traditional mbira player, believed that when people play mbira music, it brought the two worlds together; the world the ancestors and the world of today (Mbira.org). Mujuru was taught mbira by his grandfather, and eagerly picked up the instrument s polyrhythmic technique (Mbira.org). Mujuru played his first dandaro (possession ceremony) at the age of ten. Throughout Zimbabwe s conflict with the constricting Rhodesia, Mujuru played subtly political mbira pieces with his performance group (Mbira.org). Mujuru dominantly played the mbira dzavadzimu and has a repertoire of many traditional Shona pieces. Ephat Mujuru came to the United States in 1980 and taught mbira at the University of Washington in Seattle until his death in 2001 (Mbira.org). Forward Kwenda is currently one of the most respected mbira performers in Zimbabwe. Kwenda was born in the Buhera area of Zimbabwe during the Zimbabwe resistance to colonial Rhodesia, and grew up respecting the Shona tradition. Kwenda grew up learning the Shona traditions of dance and poetry and excelled in both (Kwenda 1). He borrowed a mbira at an early age and listened to the occasional mbira radio programs and picked up the skill from those programs (Kwenda 2). As a teenager, Kwenda was known for his skill in bringing spirits to a ceremony within the first song he played. By 1985, five years after the liberation of Zimbabwe, Kwenda s solo style had become noticeably melodically and rhythmically complex. He states that it is not him performing the music; the spirits perform the music through him (Kwenda 2).

14 Galus 14 Conclusion The mbira is critical in the Shona culture. As an instrument, it serves countless purposes both in mainstream music and religious ceremonies. Without it, the Shona believe that their ancestors would not accept their lifestyles and would not allow them the gifts, talents and success that their vadmizu provide. The mbira drives the past and present Shona way of life and is certainly worth knowing.

15 Galus 15 Bibliography Forward Kwenda. Mbira Organization. Mbira Organization Online. 27 Jan < Telephone to the Spirits: Mbira Music is Shona Culture uses the Mbira Organization dedication to Forward Kwenda as means for information on the talented Shona traditionalist performer. The website also provides information for his own website and links for recordings and records of his performances. This website is recommended for use in finding recordings and lists of traditional Mbira music. The Garland encyclopedia of world music. volume 1, Africa [sound recording] : selected audio examples. The Archives of Traditional Music. Garland Publishing Co. Rec Shona Munyonga mbira song, "Tongore" (2:25) -- Shona ancestral spirit song, "Nyama musango" (2:45) The two selections extracted from the recordings were used in two lesson plans, and were also used for personal analysis for Telephone to the Spirits. The selections were helpful in understanding the form, melodic and rhythmic patterns, and how the voice is used in mbira music. These recordings are recommended for use for providing examples for students and teachers to listen and analyze. Global Minstrels. Wald, Elijah. Global Minstrels : Voices of World Music. New York: Routledge, This book is recommended for information on Ephat Mujuru. The book features many interviews with many world music performers. Mbira Tunings from Zimbabwe. World Music and Percussion. N. Scott Robinson. 27 Jan < N. Scott Robinson studies and builds different types of mbira. This website is recommended for the different tuning systems for the different mbiras. Mbira. National Geographic National Geographic Online. 27 Jan < ira_754>. The Mbira article from National Geographic assisted in the historical background of the music. The website is recommended for general information on the mbira subject. Mbira.org. Mbira Organization. Mbira Organization Online. 27 Jan < The website is based on a nonprofit, successful group that studies and performs traditional mbira

16 Galus 16 music. The website has available recordings and videos for teachers, students, and enthusiasts alike. This website is recommended both for those interested, and those that are studying mbira. Music from Rhodesia. Dumisani Maraire. Mbira Music From Rhodesia. Rec University of Washington Press, These are recordings from master artist Dumiani Maraire. There are many traditional songs on the recordings. These recordings are recommended for teaching traditional Shona songs. Shona Information. University of Iowa Art and Life in Africa Online. 27 Jan < The University of Iowa has researchers that developed historical information on the cultures in Africa. The website does not go in depth into mbira music, but it does provide information on the history of Zimbabwe and the Shona culture. Shona. Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 27 Jan < The Shona article on Encyclopaedia Britannica Online was useful in finding history about the Shona culture in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The article is recommended for finding history on the Shona culture. Songs, Games and Dances. Sorensen, Kathy, and Ruth Boshkoff. Multicultural Songs, Games, and Dances. Fargo, North Dakota: Organization of American KodáLy Educators, Songs, Games, and Dances, was used in finding notated Hwerure, and developing a game from the song. This book is entirely useful for developing lesson plans based on world cultures. Story Songs. Dumisani Maraire. African Story Songs. Rec University of Washington Press, Story songs is a collection of traditional Shona mbira music. This collection was used to develop personal analysis of mbira music. The recordings are recommended for analysis and understanding purposes.

The Kalimba, its African History, and Black Pride. Mark Holdaway Kalimba Magic

The Kalimba, its African History, and Black Pride Mark Holdaway Kalimba Magic There are so many types of kalimba! Where did it all start? The Kalimba is an ancient instrument from Africa First documented