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Supporting the Ubuntu Learning Village in Zimbabwe (Mutamba Rainos)
Most people around the African music community know Mutamba Rainos, an mbira player/singer/dancer/percussionist with Nhapitapi, and formerly with Masaisai. He’s also a storyteller, chef, and (as of this fall), PhD student at OISE. However he also created an important project in rural Zimbabwe, the Ubuntu Learning Village. He is in Zimbabwe for four months now, […]
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“Under African Skies”: Documentary on “Graceland”, 25 years on (updated)
Update, May 24: See this page for details on the various CD/DVD/Blu-ray packages being released June 5. Update (May 18): The film will be shown on A&E (TV), May 25 at 10pm. Update (May 13): A couple of film reviews: LA Times (May 11) The Age (Australia) (May 14) And, to capture a bit of […]
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A night of Zimbabwean rhythms: March 3, 2012
Last Saturday night, two excellent Toronto-based Zimbabwean bands played at Placebo Place on Bloor St. (A small, funky artist loft, located above an auto mechanic garage). Nhapitapi Mbira opened, followed by the Tich Maredza Band. For the final set, all 9 musicians played together. The audience had long since given up the cushions on the […]
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Stella Chiweshe in town
It’s a big deal when the Zimbabwean mbira player/singer/healer is here. Last time she was in Toronto was 2007. (See my photos of her concert at the Berkeley St. Church). She’s back in town this month, and to date has the following appearances scheduled: Sat. Aug. 13: a solo performance at the Trane Studio Sat. […]
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Documentary on Zimbabwean music in North America nears completion
A couple of years ago, I was contacted by Doug & Laurel Epps in Colorado who asked permission to use a couple of my photos of Thomas Mapfumo in concert. They were making a documentary on the beginnings of Zimbabwean music in North America and its spread. Now after four years of work, it’s almost […]
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Afropop: “The Field Recordings of Hugh Tracey”
Afropop Worldwide’s “Hip Deep” feature focused last week on the pioneer English musicologist Hugh Tracey who over half a century, beginning in the 1920’s, extensively recorded and catalogued African music, especially from Southern Africa. His fascination with Zimbabwean mbira music led him to manufacture a variation of the similar African kalimba. His version became known […]