Intern Highlight: Meet the Mbira Dzavadzimu in Staff Picks!

The Staff Picks exhibit at MOIFA is all over the place. Literally! There are pieces from all over the world there. That’s why I’d like to highlight a really awesome piece, the mbira dzavadzimu (ehm-BEE-rah zah- vahd-ZEE-moo)!  

Mbira dzavadzimu means “voice/mbira of the ancestors”. It is traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. During the 19th century the instrument was banned by colonial rulers, but the mbira resurfaced as a symbol of pride during the 70's, and became Zimbabwe’s national instrument following the country’s gaining of independence in 1980. The mbira has gone by many other names, such as kalimba, nhare, and thumb piano, which you might know.  

Mbiras are classified as lamellophones, which are instruments with tines, also known as “lamellae”. The tines are plucked with the fingers. The tines are affixed to a wooden soundboard known as a gwariva. Also attached to the soundboard are bottlecaps, shells, or other small objects. These objects are called macharaand their purpose is to create a buzzing sound when the tines are plucked. This sound is said to attract spirits.  

If you have heard of the mibra before, you may know the mbira is an ancient instrument. But its exact origin is still not fully known. It is thought to have been invented twice on the continent of Africa. Once as a wood/bamboo tined instrument on the West Coast of Africa approximately 3,000 years ago, and twice as metal-tined lamellophones invented in the Zambezi river valley approximately 1,300 years ago.  

Earlier, I mentioned that kalimba is another name for mbira, which is true in more ways than one. Yes, kalimba is another, ancient word for mbira, but it also refers to the modern interpretation of the mbira, designed and marketed by ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey in the 1950's. The kalimba has become very popular in the rest of the world, as it is a simple and fun instrument, making it good for children. I even have one made of pine, made here in the United States. The kalimba picked up more attention around the late 60's to early 70's as musicians such as Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire and Thomas Mapfumo began using the mbira alongside their more modern instruments. 

Have you ever seen Mbira dzavadzimu, the ancestor of the thumb piano? If you haven’t, there is still time, you can still see a fabulous example of it at MOIFA’s Staff Picks!  

By Flynn McGarrity, MOIFA Ecuation Summer Intern 2024 and local high school student and musician

Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbira#cite_note-6 

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/docproject/bop-chaka-zinyemba-mbira-1.5879374  

https://omeka-s.grinnell.edu/s/MusicalInstruments/item/1828