The Mbira's Angolan Name: A Musical Journey

The mbira is a traditional instrument played by the Shona people of Zimbabwe for over a thousand years. It is a lamellophone, or thumb piano, consisting of a row of metal strips, used as keys, attached to an open-ended wooden gourd or hollow resonator. The mbira is considered a sacred instrument, used to contact ancestors and tribal guardians at ceremonies. The mbira is also used in celebrations of all kinds, including weddings, and is included in government events. While mbira is the name of both the instrument and the music, it is called by different names in different parts of Africa. In Angola, which neighbours Zimbabwe, the mbira is likely to have a different name.

The mbira in Angola is called the likembe

In Angola, the mbira is known as the likembe and is played by the Bakongo people, one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. The likembe is constructed similarly to the mbira, with metal keys attached to a wooden soundboard. It is played by plucking the keys with the thumbs and forefingers, creating a delightful and tranquil sound.

The likembe is used for ceremonial functions such as weddings, funerals, and honouring significant people, as well as for religious purposes to invoke and communicate with ancestral spirits. The instrument's sound is believed to 'project into the heavens', attracting the spirits to earth.

The Bakongo people have their own unique traditions and culture, including language, music, and dance, which are distinct from other ethnic groups in Angola. The likembe is an integral part of their cultural and spiritual practices, playing a similar role to the mbira in Shona culture.

Angola is a diverse and multicultural country with a rich history influenced by its indigenous peoples and the Portuguese colonial era. The country has a variety of ethnic groups, each with their own traditions, languages, and customs, contributing to a vibrant and diverse cultural landscape.

The mbira is a traditional instrument of the Shona people

The mbira is an instrument of deep spiritual significance to the Shona people. It is often used in religious ceremonies, such as all-night bira (mapira in the singular) ceremonies, where connections with ancestral spirits are sought. The mbira is also used at weddings, funerals, and in honour of significant people. The mbira is believed to be a "telephone to the spirits", used to contact both deceased ancestors and ancient tribal guardians. It is also used to ask spirits to bring rain during droughts, stop rain during floods, and bring clouds to protect crops. In addition, the mbira is used for personal meditation and prayers to the spirits, as well as for celebrations and death ceremonies.

The mbira is also known as the "thumb piano" and is considered the national instrument of Zimbabwe. It has been played by the Shona people for over a thousand years and is an integral part of Shona traditional culture, both sacred and secular. The mbira is often accompanied by percussion on hosho (traditional shakers) and drums, hand-clapping, singing, and dancing. The music played on the mbira consists of interlocking and cyclical parts with poly-rhythmic complexity, with lead players performing the kushaura melodies and backing players contributing with kutshinira melodies. The mbira is also an important means of passing down songs and traditions from generation to generation.

In recent years, the mbira has gained recognition beyond Zimbabwe, with traditional and non-traditional players taking the instrument on tours and including it in contemporary music. Zimbabwean women have also increasingly taken up the instrument, breaking through patriarchal structures and paving the way for future generations of female players. The mbira's unique sound and cultural significance continue to captivate audiences worldwide, ensuring its place in both traditional and modern contexts.

The mbira is a type of lamellophone

The mbira is played by holding the resonator with the fingers placed underneath and using the thumbs to pluck the keys. The sound produced is described as delightful, pleasant, and tranquil. Harmonic or rhythmic sounds can be achieved by either plucking the keys simultaneously or alternating plucks. The mbira is typically used in ceremonial functions such as weddings, funerals, and religious purposes, such as calling on spirits and seeking their advice.

The mbira is native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It has been played for over a thousand years and is considered mystical music. The Shona people form the vast majority of the population of Zimbabwe and extend into Mozambique. The mbira is considered sacred by the Shona people and is used to facilitate communication with ancestral spirits. The instrument and the music are both referred to as "mbira" in the Shona language.

The mbira has a distinctive form and sound that are well-known beyond its cultural origins in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is one of the most widely known African instruments outside the continent. The mbira's unique sound is due to the inharmonic overtones produced by plucking the lamella, which die out quickly, leaving an almost pure tone. The mbira is often accompanied by the hosho, a percussion instrument.

In recent times, the mbira has been adopted by contemporary musicians, especially in Europe and the Americas. It has also gained recognition from organisations such as UNESCO, which included "The Art of Crafting and Playing Mbira/Sansi, the Finger-Plucking Traditional Musical Instrument in Malawi and Zimbabwe" in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.

The mbira is used in ceremonies to connect with ancestral spirits

The mbira is a musical instrument that is deeply rooted in the traditions and culture of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. It is believed that the mbira serves as a "telephone to the spirits", providing a means of communication with ancestral spirits and a pathway to spiritual guidance. This belief extends beyond Zimbabwe, with variations of the mbira found in other African countries, including Zambia, Congo, Uganda, and Kenya.

In Shona culture, the mbira holds significant spiritual importance, especially during ceremonies like the Bira, where it is used to summon ancestral spirits. The Bira ceremony is an all-night ritual during which the Shona people call upon their ancestors for guidance and intercession. They believe that ancestral spirits, or dzavadzimu, are the intermediaries between the living and God, and the mbira is the key to invoking their presence. The mbira's unique buzzing sound, created by the interaction of metal keys and snail shells or bottle caps, is thought to be essential in attracting ancestral spirits.

During the Bira ceremony, two mbira players, along with a player on a pair of gourd shakers (hosho), create an improvised musical performance. The music played on the mbira, combined with singing and dancing, is believed to summon the spirits of ancestors, who then possess living mediums. This spiritual possession allows the ancestors to communicate directly with their living descendants, offering advice, guidance, and wisdom. The Shona people view this as a way to reconnect with their ancestors and seek their protection and blessings.

The mbira is also used in other ceremonies, such as death rituals and celebrations like weddings. In death ceremonies, the mbira is played for an extended period after the passing of a chief to honour their spirit before informing the community. Additionally, the mbira is used in the kurova guva ceremony, approximately one year after a person's death, to welcome their spirit back to the community.

Beyond its ceremonial uses, the mbira is valued for its ability to induce a peaceful state of mind and a sense of spiritual connection. It is played for personal meditation and prayers, as well as for entertainment during social gatherings. The instrument's construction and the materials used, such as metal keys made from sacred iron ore and the use of special types of wood, further emphasise its spiritual significance within the Shona culture.

The mbira is played by plucking metal keys fixed to a wooden soundboard

The mbira is a family of musical instruments, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. It is played by plucking metal keys fixed to a wooden soundboard. The mbira is an instrument of deep spiritual significance to the Shona people and is considered sacred.

The mbira is played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the metal keys with the thumbs, the right forefinger, and sometimes the left forefinger. The soundboard is often fitted with a resonator to amplify the sound. The mbira's metal keys vary in length, with the longer ones placed in the centre, and each length determines the pitch of the key. The shorter the key, the higher the sound, and the longer the key, the lower the pitch.

When played, the mbira is typically placed inside a large gourd or calabash called a "deze" which acts as an amplifier. The mbira is held by placing the little finger of the right hand through a hole in the bottom right corner of the soundboard for balance, with the ring finger and middle finger reaching around the back to stabilise the instrument. The thumbs pluck downward on the keys, while the forefinger plucks upward from beneath the keys.

The mbira is an instrument with a rich history and cultural significance. It is considered the national instrument of Zimbabwe and has been played by the Shona people for over a thousand years. The mbira is used in religious and spiritual contexts, as well as for entertainment and social gatherings. It is often played at weddings, funerals, and other ceremonial functions.

In traditional Shona culture, the mbira is used as a telephone to the spirits, to communicate with ancestral spirits and seek their guidance. The buzzing sound created by the rattling of metal, bottle caps, or shells attached to the instrument is believed to attract ancestral spirits. The mbira is also played at all-night ceremonies called "bira", where people call upon the spirits to answer questions and seek guidance.

The mbira has been adopted and adapted by contemporary musicians in Africa, Asia, and the West, and continues to evolve and gain popularity worldwide.

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