Dumisani Maraire : A legendary performer of the mbira

When you talk about mbira legends from Zimbabwe, the name Dumisani Maraire should instantly ring a bell! 

Dumisani Maraire was a Zimbabwean musician, singer-songwriter, and producer who was born on December 27, 1944, in Mutare, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and died on November 25, 1999, in Zimbabwe. He was a master performer of the mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. He specialized in the form of mbira called nyunga nyunga, as well as the Zimbabwean marimba. He introduced Zimbabwean music to North America, initiating a flourishing of Zimbabwean music in the Pacific Northwest that continues into the 21st century . Maraire is credited for his famous 1–15 number notation used on the nyunga nyunga mbira and for notating the song "Chemutengure" on the nyunga nyunga mbira. The song "Chemutengure" is used to teach mbira learners the technique of playing the instrument 

Maraire taught from 1968 through 1972 at the University of Washington in Seattle. He remained in Washington state until 1982, teaching at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, giving private music lessons, and performing in cities of the Pacific Northwest and in British Columbia with several marimba groups he founded. Maraire returned to Zimbabwe with his family in 1982 to develop an ethnomusicology program at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare. Four years later, he was back in Seattle, teaching and earning his own doctorate in ethnomusicology at the University of Washington, after which he returned again to teach at the University of Zimbabwe. 

Maraire has been credited with having "inspired thousands of Americans to explore Shona culture by building and performing on mbiras and marimbas, providing a vivid example with his own family". Some of his North American students created a Zimbabwean music festival (now called "Zimfest") which has taken place annually since 1991. . Several of his children have also had successful musical careers. The late Chiwoniso Maraire was described as the "Zimbabwe mbira queen" and "a true ambassador of the Zimbabwean culture". Dumisani Maraire Jr. performs under the stage name Draze; Tendai Maraire is part of hip hop duos Shabazz Palaces and Chimurenga Renaissance; and Zhiyanai Maraire performs as ZNi International. 

The Mbira 

The mbira is a traditional African instrument that has been played by the Shona people of Zimbabwe for thousands of years . It is also known as the "thumb piano" because it is played with the thumbs and one finger. The mbira consists of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs (at minimum), the right forefinger (most mbira), and sometimes the left forefinger. . Musicologists classify it as a lamellaphone, part of the plucked idiophone family of musical instruments . 

The mbira is often an important instrument played at religious ceremonies, weddings, and other social gatherings. It is also used to teach mbira learners the technique of playing the instrument. The "Art of crafting and playing Mbira/Sansi, the finger-plucking traditional musical instrument in Malawi and Zimbabwe" was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. 

The mbira is a traditional African instrument that is often played with other instruments such as the hosho, a percussion instrument, and the marimba, a wooden xylophone with metal resonators. The mbira is also sometimes accompanied by other traditional African instruments such as the djembe, a goblet-shaped drum that is played with bare hands, and the balafon, a wooden xylophone with gourd resonators. 

The mbira is a traditional African instrument that is played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs (at minimum), the right forefinger (most mbira), and sometimes the left forefinger. Here are some steps to get started:

1. Hold the mbira: Hold the mbira in both hands, with your thumbs on the bottom and your fingers on top.

2. Pluck the tines: Pluck the tines with your thumbs and fingers to create a melody. The right forefinger is used to play the highest-pitched tines, while the left forefinger is used to play the lowest-pitched tines.

3. Practice: Practice playing simple melodies and rhythms to get comfortable with the instrument.