In their village of Norton, an hour West of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, Mawungira Enharira members are known for their open rehearsals in which anyone can come and play mbira, hosho, ngoma, dance, or sing with them. It is through these rehearsals that the village of Norton has been able to cultivate young talent that has gone on to form spectacular traditional music bands that have performed in venues across Zimbabwe. The legacy of the older musicians in Mawungira Enharira, and indeed Mbira Dzenharira, the original group from which Mawungira Enharira emerged, can be seen in the younger players who play alongside them and fluidly sing the lyrics as if they were born knowing what to do with the mbira.
The group is as adept at teaching community singing and dancing workshops as they are splitting up and teaching more focused, individual workshops in mbira and hosho. Each member of the group is a gwenyambira (master mbira player) in his own right and in their free time the members of Mawungira Enharira play at traditional ceremonies for their families and communities. Their meteoric rise to the top of the popular music charts in Zimbabwe is a testament to their skill at making traditional music not only more accessible, but socially conscious and highly entertaining.
The members of Mawungira Enharira call each other by their totems as a sign of respect for the spirits that endow each one of them with their musicianship.
dandemutande.com
Posted by "mbirajunction"Posted by "mawungira"
