I was on youtube yesterday, and came across this video from the Prince Edward High School Marimba Band. The school is located in Harare, Zimbabwe - and the instruments look like Kwanagoma College style marimbas.
Nicholas Manomano is the music teacher at this school, and Nicholas will be visiting/teaching here in the states summer 2007. I’ll try and find those details and will post later.
Enjoy!
2 comments March 21st, 2007
MyLinda King has been teaching marimba in the Portland, Oregon area for the last 12 years. She was a founding member of Boka Marimba, and sells some of the best hosho you will find anywhere in the western hemisphere. MyLinda is great with students at all levels, and especially good with younger students.
Her 12th Annual Marimba Student Recital will be Saturday April 21, 2007 at Evangel Baptist. Admission is free, any donations will be used to help start a marimba program at Buckman Elementary School.
Recitals are a great place to find new members for your band. You get a chance to listen to each band, and an opportunity to meet the players.
1 comment March 14th, 2007
I first heard about Jambanja from a friend who saw them busking in Victora BC. He let me listen to the CD, and I just loved what I heard. Garadziva Chigamba is the respected director and leader of this high-spirited group. A musician since age five, having learned from both his father (mbira master Tute Chigamba) and through his own love of music, Garadziva embodies expression as a prolific composer, soulful singer, dancer and master musician on marimba, mbira and ngoma.
Garadziva is considered by many to be leading a new wave of Zimbabwean marimba music here in the United States. I first met Garadziva at Nhemamusasa North 2006 (you ARE going this year, aren’t you?). I had the chance to hear him play mbira, marimba, ngoma (drums), and sing - and he is by no exaggeration a very talented musician. I’ve also seen Jambanja perform several times now, and they are simply fantastic.
Muka Tiende (Wake Up Let’s Go) is from Jambanja’s second release Gungwa. This song features Garadziva’s mbira, singing, and his signature whistling. Muka Tiende would be a great song first thing in the morning - and it will make you wake up and go.
Enjoy!
1 comment March 10th, 2007
I’ve never ventured to New Mexico for Camp Tumbuka - but many of my Portland marimba friends have. They tell me stories about sitting around the campfire on a cool desert night playing mbira and singing with mbira masters (like Musekiwa Chingodza). Tumbuka, from what I’m told, gives you that feeling of being in Africa - without ever leaving the New Mexico desert.
The 2007 dates for Camp Tumbuka are Wednesday May 30 - Monday June 4th 2007. Camp Tumbuka takes place at the Synergia Ranch in the heart of New Mexico and focuses on Marimba, Mbira, Song, Dance, and Drum of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. Their stated goal is “to create a community village atmosphere conducive to passing on the ancient beauty and wisdom of Shona culture”.
2 comments March 8th, 2007
Last year was the first annual Nhemamusasa North music festival in Duncan BC Canada - and I was lucky to be there. I got to be there at the start of something that I know deep in my heart is going to become a really big thing. I got the chance to get to know a bunch of people from all over the Pacific Northwest (and even Spokane and California) who are as passionate about this music as I am.
The camp is held in the serene and beautiful Providence Farm, a 400 acre farm community at the base of Mt. Tzouhalem in the Cowichan Valley. Marimba/mbira/drumming/singing/dancing classes during the day, delicious meals, and music late into the night. Great performances in 2006 by Feso, Musekiwa Chingodza, and Garadziva Chigamba/Jambanja.
The dates for this year are June 23-27 2007. I’m looking forward to this already!
5 comments March 8th, 2007
One of the purposes in creating this site was to expose visitors to some really great African inspired marimba music. In general, you won’t find many reviews of this music genre in mainstream publications. I have been getting a lot of emails asking how to listen to the MP3 content on this site. Each blog entry with audio content will have a icon like the one below. To listen to the audio just click on the play button (which looks like an arrow that points to the right).
Chapfudzapasi (Music Earthquake) is from the Queen of Mbira - Stella Chiweshe’s first release Ambuya?. Stella is credited as one of the first artists to combine mbira and marimba together in her arrangements, and this song is a fine example of that fact. Her beautiful voice and mbira playing transcend the very human condition of which she sings.
Enjoy!
1 comment March 4th, 2007
Today it was announced that applications for performers and workshop instructors are now available on the Zimfest website.
The Zimbabwean Music Festival is an annual celebration of Zimbabwean music and culture. A fun-filled three-day weekend of concerts, workshops, community conversations, a marketplace and more, Zimfest is the largest annual gathering in North America of students, teachers, performers, and fans of Zimbabwean music.
Zimfest 2007 will be 24–26 August in Olympia Washington USA at the South Puget Sound Community College with most of the workshops and performances at SPSCC’s Center for the Arts.
Hope to see you there!
1 comment February 21st, 2007
I went to my first Zimfest in 1995. The Friday night performances were held at the Nippon Kan Theater in Chinatown. It was a stormy night and I was exhausted from the drive from Portland. I checked-in for the festival and learned that my housing reservation for the festival had been lost and I had no place to stay. I was in a foul mood. I was about ready to turn around and go back to Portland, when I heard this band being introduced. They took the stage and began their first song. They played fast, furious, and amazingly tight. They were Seattle’s Anzanga Marimba, and they were awesome. After that, I decided to stick around for the rest of the festival - and I’m glad I did.
I’ve seen Anzanga play many times now, and each performance is better than the previous. I’ve seen Sheree Seretse (Anzanga’s musical director) play so fast and furious that the glasses fell right off of her face. Put this band on your “must see” list!
Bukatiende is from Anzanga’s 1994 release Vakati Kurudzira (Those who have inspired us). Bukatiende means “Wake up, let’s go!”, and is a traditional mbira piece from Zimbabwe. This piece is played early in the morning to prepare everyone for the arrival of the spirits. Enjoy!
Note: This release is currently available on audio cassette only.
1 comment February 18th, 2007
It seems appropriate for my first post to be about the first marimba band I ever heard. Back in 1992 I went to a political rally at Montgomery Park in Portland Oregon. I walked in the front entrance and I heard this music that sounded like steel drum music - but warmer, happier, and with more energy. I followed the music up to the second floor like a hound dog hot on the trail and there was this band playing big wooden marimbas. The band was Balafon (from Corvallis, OR), and I was an instant fan. I danced, I clapped, and I didn’t want that show to ever end. This single performance changed my musical life.
Frelimo is a track from their second (and last) disc Harare to Kisingani, which was released well after I first saw them. I find this song haunting, much in part to the clarinet (which sounds much better with marimbas than I would have ever thought). Enjoy!
1 comment February 17th, 2007
We’ve spent a couple of months getting the site designed - and now were just about ready to go! We’ve got a lot of really great African inspired marimba music to share with you. Are you ready?
Add comment February 16th, 2007