September 2022 Update - Mbira dzaVaNdau

[Stefan Franke]

Dear SR users,

I hope you're all doing well and still find time to play mbira!

Not much has happened in terms of software development on SR over the summer months, only small improvements and bugfixes.

I was mostly busy writing proposals for funding for a Matepe documentation project. So far without success - if you can think of partners who would still finance such things in these economically difficult times, please let me know!

This update is about the mbira dzaVaNdau: 21 transcriptions from Andrew Tracey's recent (and long postponed) article The Mbira of the Ndau: Mozambique and Zimbabwe in 1972 are now online, and so are four mbira dzaVaNdau tunings which I've sampled at ILAM (TIC 134, 135, 136, 137, see below). Especially 135 is a new favourite!

For SR's social media updates I sometimes make these little clips showing transcription playback. It's semi-pointless to link them here as you can play back everything yourself with just a few clicks. But if you are lazy and want to check out what these mbiras sound like, just click on the images.

More Ndau mbira transcriptions coming soon!

If you are as intrigued by these perfectly balanced rhythmic miniatures as I am, and would like an instrument, please get in touch. I'm currently working with Solomon Madhinga to recreate some of the historical tunings.

Stefan