Tag Archives: zimbabwe

Supporting the Ubuntu Learning Village in Zimbabwe (Mutamba Rainos)

  June 7, 2012 - 8:29 am | , ,
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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, beginning the construction of this village. (I’m looking forward to meeting Mutamba in Harare this August) I’m posting some messages below from Mutamba about the project, and a fund-raising effort for it being held in Toronto June 17, through the AIDS Ride for Africa, sponsored … Continue reading →

“Under African Skies”: Documentary on “Graceland”, 25 years on (updated)

  May 9, 2012 - 10:56 pm | , , , ,
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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 the flavour of the original album release, you can find many videos on YouTube of Simon’s original “Graceland” tour which followed the original album release. Many are from the final concert in Harare, Zimbabwe, including: “You Can Call Me Al“ “Diamonds on the Soles of … Continue reading →

A night of Zimbabwean rhythms: March 3, 2012

  March 8, 2012 - 5:17 pm | ,
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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 floor, and everyone was moving to the music. Band members: Nhapitapi Mbira: Mutamba (Moyo) Rainos: vocals, mbira, percussion & dance Memory Makuri: vocals, dance & percussion Evelyn Mukwedeya: mbira & percussion Pasi Gunguwo: vocals, mbira, percussion The Tich Maredza Band: Tichaona Maredza: vocals, guitar Larry … Continue reading →

Stella Chiweshe in town

  August 6, 2011 - 1:39 pm |
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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. Aug. 20: A workshop & solo performance at Earthsong Village Sun. Aug. 21: Performance, with a band featuring some of Toronto’s top Zimbabwean musicians at the Lula Lounge Press release from Batuki Music Society: The remarkable Stella Rambisai Chiweshe, known worldwide as the ‘Queen of … Continue reading →

Documentary on Zimbabwean music in North America nears completion

  July 25, 2011 - 11:50 am |
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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 finished. Taj Mahal narrates. A preview is below. For more information, see sacredpathexplorations.com

Afropop: “The Field Recordings of Hugh Tracey”

  May 20, 2011 - 2:11 am | ,
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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 as the “Hugh Tracey kalimba” (An appropriate note to be written two days before Njacko Backo and his group Kalimba Kalimba head a multi-artist benefit show at the Gladstone on May 21. See separate post). In 1954, Tracey founded the International Library of African Music, … Continue reading →