Albert Chimedza (born 1955) is a Zimbabwean poet and founder of the

Mbira Centre Mbira ( ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal Tine (structural), tines, played by holding the instrument ...

. His only collection of poetry, ''Counterpoint'' was published in 1984, together with Hopewell Seyaseya. Over the years, Chimedza has focused his energy on promoting the

mbira Mbira ( ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and p ...

, a unique traditional instrument that has been played for more than 1,000 years. The mbira is integral to the traditions and cultural identity of the

Shona people The Shona people () are part of the Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Africa, primarily living in Zimbabwe where they form the majority of the population, as well as Mozambique, South Africa, and a worldwide diaspora including global celebriti ...

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

Career

Though Chimedza is an all round creative who has dabbled in film, poetry and other creative arts in Zimbabwe, he is famous for his work in promoting the mbira. For Chimedza, the mbira is part of Zimbabwe's cultural heritage. At the Mbira Centre, a workshop he runs from

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

, Chimedza and a group of skilled craftsmen, spend days and weeks, making these little musical instruments. In February 2014, the centre started a 'Mbira in the Schools' campaign in partnership with the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

Programme for Arts and Culture Development.

Bibliography

''Counterpoint'' (written with Hopewell Seyaseya), College Press, 1984.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chimedza, Albert Zimbabwean poets 1955 births Living people