Shona music is the

music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...

of the

Shona people The Shona people () are part of the Bantu peoples, 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 g ...

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 ...

. There are several different types of traditional Shona music including

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 ...

singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung accompaniment, wi ...

, hosho and drumming. Very often, this music will be accompanied by

dancing Dance is a performing art art form, form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolism (arts), symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its chor ...

, and participation by the audience. In Shona music, there is little distinction between the performer and the audience, both are often actively involved in the music-making, and both are important in the religious ceremonies where Shona music is often heard.

Mbira

The mbira is a traditional instrument of the Shona People often used in religious ceremonies. There are several different varieties of mbira including the mbira dzavadzimu and mbira nyunga nyunga. Shona music is well known as representative of mbira ("thumb piano") music. The performer of the " kushaura" (lead mbira part) often acts also as the lead vocalist, selecting a known melody or mbira pattern to accompany selected lyrics, usually a phrase or a few lines of text which are then commented upon improvisationally. The performer of the "kutsinira" (second mbira part) plays a pattern which interlocks with the "kushaura" in a way that creates the repeated notes which identify mbira music. The "kutsinira" part is sometimes the same part as the "kushaura", but following the kushaura one pulse behind. The mbira players are accompanied by another less active singer who plays the hosho (a rattle) and responds to the improvised lyrics of the singer and, most importantly, embellishes and complements the lead vocal melody. (Garfias 1971)

Drumming

Drums are always associated with dance and can be used for various dances.

Mhande drums

# Shauro- used for the lead rhythm # Tsinhiro- used for the response rhythm

4Dinhe drums

# Mhito – used for the lead rhythm # Mitumba miviri- used for the response rhythm

Chokoto drums

(these are two headed) # Chimudumbana – small, for lead rhythm # Chigubha – big, for response rhythm

Hosho

Shona music is often accompanied by the hosho, a hollowed-out maranka gourd containing ''hota'' seeds or other objects that is shaken to generate a sound.

Ancient Shona music

Traditional ancient Shona musics consist of mbira dzavadzimu played by multiple players, hosho and

ngoma drums Ngoma (also called engoma or ng'oma or ingoma) are musical instruments used by certain Bantu populations of Africa. ''Ngoma'' is derived from the Kongo word for "drum". Different Bantu-inhabited regions have their own traditions of percussion, w ...

. Ancient shona music is mainly played at spiritual ceremonies called bira.

Modern

Traditional Shona music has been adapted to modern instruments such as electric guitars and western drumsets, for example by musicians such as Thomas Mapfumo,

Stella Chiweshe Stella Chiweshe (also Stella Rambisai Chiweshe, Stella Rambisai Chiweshe Nekati, Mbuya Stella Chiweshe, or Stella Nekati Chiweshe; 8 July 1946 – 20 January 2023) was a Zimbabwean musician. She was known internationally for her singing and pla ...

, and Oliver Mtukudzi. This music is also associated with the

Chimurenga ''Chimurenga'' is a word in the Shona language. The Ndebele equivalent, though not as widely used since the majority of Zimbabweans are Shona speaking, is ''Umvukela'', meaning "revolutionary struggle" or uprising. In specific historical terms ...

movement.

Shona music in the West

Shona music has become popular in the West and even in the East such as Japan. Shona mbira has been taught in British and American Universities in musicology classes. Transcriptions carried out as part of fieldwork. In the United States, Shona music has become popular in Colorado, California, the Pacific Northwest and in some places of Argentina, largely due to the seeding influence of musicians including Dumisani Maraire, Ephat Mujuru, Thomas Mapfumo and

Erica Azim Erica Kundidzora Azim is a musician based in Berkeley, California, who is associated with a not-for-profit organisation. Recordings ''Mbira - Healing Music of Zimbabwe'' The Relaxation Company CD, 2000 ''Mbira Dreams'' The Relaxation Company ...

Shona music on marimba

Shona marimbas are diatonic and are made with F#s and without. They are different from other marimbas through their larger keys and resonators beneath the keys (to produce a buzzing sound). There are four kinds of marimba played in a band, namely bass, baritone, tenor and soprano. Bass has the largest keys and resonators and the shortest range, requiring large sticks to play. Baritone is the next in size, with one octave more than the bass. It also has large resonators and large sticks, although not as large as bass. Tenor and soprano use the same sticks. Tenor has two octaves, with the higher octave being the same as the lower octave of soprano. Soprano plays the lead part, with tenor providing rhythm. Bass and baritone play similar parts, forming the backbone of the song. Marimba is very popular in schools in Zimbabwe, with most schools having at least one band.

Musicians

Chartwell Dutiro Chartwell Shorayi Dutiro (1957 – 2019) was a Zimbabwean musician, who started playing mbira when he was four years old at the protected village, Kagande; about two hours drive from Harare, where his family was moved by the Salvation Army miss ...

* Chiwoniso Maraire *

Chris Berry Chris Berry is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He plays the mbira (thumb piano) and the ngoma drum, from the Shona people of Southern Africa. His records with the band Panjea have gone platinum in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. He ...

* Cosmas Magaya * Dumisani Maraire * Ephat Mujuru *

Forward Kwenda Forward Kwenda is a mbira performer from Zimbabwe. He was given the name "Forward" due to his involvement in many activities including his performances for guerrilla forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. Early life He was born in the rural Buh ...

* Fabio Chivhanda * Herbert Schwamborn * James Chimombe * Oliver Mtukudzi *

Tendayi Gahamadze Tendayi ''(Samaita)'' Gahamadze (born July 3, 1959) is a Zimbabwean artist and songwriter. Background Tendayi Gahamadze was born at his parents' farm in Musengezi and went to Mkwasha Primary School. He went to Moleli for secondary education ...

* Thomas Mapfumo Jah Prayzah Chiwoniso Maraire

Recordings

* Nonesuch Explorer Series 79703-2, Zimbabwe: ''The African Mbira: Music of the Shona People'' (2002). Liner notes by Robert Garfias (1971). *Nonesuch Explorer Series 79704 Zimbabwe: ''The Soul of Mbira: Traditions of the Shona People'' (1973). Produced by Paul Berliner * Musical instruments 2: (LP) Reeds (Mbira). (1972) The Music of Africa series. 1 LP disc. 33 rpm. mono. 12 in. Recorded by Hugh Tracey. Kaleidophone, KMA 2. * Mbira Music of Rhodesia, Performed by Abram Dumisani Maraire. (1972). Seattle: University of Washington Press, Ethnic Music Series. Garfias, R. (Ed.). 1 LP disc. 33 rpm. mono. 12 in. UWP-1001. This disc features Maraire exclusively on Nyunga Nyunga mbira. A 12-page booklet by Maraire is included, describing the background, composition, and performance of nyunga-nyunga mbira music.

External links

Zimbabwe Music Vibes Promoting
Urban Culture
ZimFest
Annual Zimbabwean Music Festival in North America

Solomon Murungu's Shona Music Site
Mbira.org
Erica Azim's site, based in Berkeley, CA
Dandemutande
Shona Music site and mailing list {{DEFAULTSORT:Shona Music Zimbabwean music Shona Ethnomusicology