A people of any place can be identified with various markers. One of the most distinct markers of a people are its music. In Zimbabwe, one of the most indigenous instruments ascribed to its people is the mbira. The mbira is an instrument which has multiple metal keys mounted onto a wooden sound board (gwariva in Chishona) and is played by plucking the keys. The keys can have from fourteen up to twenty-eight keys on one board. Sometimes shells or bottle caps are attached to the mbira to give it a buzzing sound.

The mbira in the past decades has transcended from being an instrument for sacred ceremonies but also secular. Traditionally the instrument is played during spiritual/ancestral ceremonies named bira. The instrument is believed to connect human beings to the spiritual realm where the ancestors and spirits are said to spend the ever after. Mbira music is said to have been played (continues to be played) for rain ceremonies, healing illnesses and warding away evil spirits. Celebrations the mbira is played include weddings, the installation of chiefs and during the kurova guva ceremony (at which the spirit of deceased is welcomed back to the family). 

Mbira music though very popular for centuries saw a decline when Zimbabwe was under colonialism. Missionaries often revoked the music often associating it with evil spirits. After the end of independence mbira music was more welcome to the native people. In secular terms, the mbira is used by some of the most popular musicians in Zimbabwe whether as the main accompaniment to music or a backing instrument. 

Due to Zimbabwe’s patriarchal structure, women were often not allowed to play the instrument. It is worth noting though that the first musician to commercially record mbira music was a woman named Beulah Dyoko. Standing beside Dyoko is Stella Chiweshe who is referred to as Zimbabwe’s mbira Queen. The late Chiweshe played the mbira with the threat of imprisonment hovering over her from the white run government. She went on to record her music and tour, spellbinding audiences with the instrument that was so dear to her.

Today women are often at the helm of mbira music with rising artist such as Mary Anibal, Nasibo and Sunni Chi. Perhaps one of the most celebrated musicians on mbira today is Hope Masike who has earned the honorific title of “Princess of Mbira”. Her latest album ‘Anotida’ is a gospel album completely backed with the mbira, breaking the barrier of the mbira not having a place in Christian religious music. Popular Zimbabwean gospel singer Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave has also been noted for including mbira in her recordings. Other artists who have used mbira in their music include Ammara Brown, Selmore Mtukudzi and Jah Prayzah.  The famed mbira ensemble Mbira DzeNharira who have captivated audiences with their energetic and near transcendent performances and recordings. 

It would be a disservice to speak on mbira music without mentioning Chiwoniso Maraire. It is argued that Maraire and her band, A Piece of Ebony, were the first band to fuse contemporary music with mbira music. Maraire is the daughter of Dumisani Maraire, a cultural ambassador who travelled to the United States and taught African instruments to students while also showcasing Zimbabwe’s musical legacy. Chiwoniso would go on the record and tour play the mbira and today is remembered as one of Zimbabwe’s foremost cultural ambassadors. 

Zimbabwe hosts the annual Mbira Festival, where various musicians and fans gather to celebrate the music. Mbira music is continuously taught at primary, secondary and tertiary institutions with online lessons also available for eager learners across the world. The heritage of the mbira continues to be preserved by its own people.