Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi, my name's Janis Weeks and I'm a professor in the biology department and a member of the African Studies program.
And this is my friend and colleague, Marilyn Mohr.
I'm Marilyn Mohr; I'm a conservation technician with UO Libraries.
And today we're playing an African instrument called the "mbira dzavadzimu," which is an
instrument from the African country of Zimbabwe.
And we are members of Kutsinhira Cultural Arts Center, which is Eugene's own center
for Zimbawean music and culture.
This is the mbira dzavadzimu. It is made up of steel keys that are affixed to a wooden
soundboard, and then at the base are these little rattles.
There's three octaves and the left thumb plays this side of the instrument, the right plays
these three keys and the right forefinger plucks these keys from below.
And the instrument is placed in a resonator. Traditionally, they're made of gourds; these
are fiberglass, they're more durable.
You can see there's bottlecaps around the outside to add to the buzz.
You use a stick to place the instrument into the deze.
And then that makes it quite louder.
It's frustratingly challenging at times, but when the piece comes together it's really
great.
And I love playing also because there's such a community of mbira players here in Eugene
and it's just the perfect instrument to play in a group, together.
I like the whole process of this instrument. I like learning it; I like the challenge of
it not making sense at all, and then having it make sense and then having it come into
your hand and your heart and just playing.