“Mbira DzeNharira is a seven piece (depending on the day) mbira group that plays the "mbira orchestra" made popular by Garikai. Lead by Wilferd MaAfrica, and Tongerai Bangure, they are a musical powerhouse that has made them the only traditional mbira group to reach the ZBC number one slot on the popular music charts. Their tight harmonies and singing about modern issues as they relate to the spirit have touched many of the younger generation in Zimbabwe and helped vitalize the mbira scene for everyone. They are a constant presence on the radio and television in Zimbabwe, and that doesn't look like it will change any time soon.” -http://www.mhumhirecords.org/Mbiradzenharira.htm
During my family vacation last summer, we spent two nights at the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival. The second night was a concert by banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and Toumani Diabaté, a Malian kora player. Midway through the concert, Diabaté demonstrated the kora, as he does in the first video; kora players play bass, melody, and accompaniment, but with less fingers than pianists do!
Diabaté also told the audience how he was from a family of griots, Malian kora players (the musician-politician-authorities kind of like Celtic bards that we talked about, along with koras, on Tuesday) who pass their skill and music father-to-son. Here is also a video of Béla Fleck and Toumani Diabaté playing together.
I found this video of a young Peruvian playing both a charango and a zampoña, both of which we’ve learned about in class, through searching “charango” on YouTube. Nothing exciting here, but the zampoña’s timbre is pretty and I have a weakness for chord changes and pieces in minor.
Now constrast that modern zampoña player with this pair in traditional dress. I love the hats! My path to this picture is a bit windy. If you go to Wikapedia, you can get a list of various South American folk music traditions. I clicked “Huayño” (also known as Peruvian wayno, which is discussed in our textbook) and followed its external link to http://boleadora.com/andes.htm (a handy site with all sorts of Andean music), which had links to various groups’s websites including French http://www.waynakuna.com/, which had this picture. Whew!
Great picture! I would have like to have a little more information about the picture, but a picture tell alot. The hats are just great!
ReplyDeleteThe kora player is really neat. Maybe less is more when it comes to the amount of fingers needed to make beautiful music. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I really like the video of the banjo player and kora player together. I would've never placed those two instruments together, but they sound great!
I was impressed with the kora player, being able to play an accompaniment and an improvised melody with just the thumbs and index fingers. The instruments look uncomfortable to play, having either to sit on the floor and lean forward, or sit in a chair and hunch over. My back would ache quickly. I was also impressed with the fellow playing the charango and pipes at the same time. The charango is so small that it must be uncomfortable to strum. He was practically strumming under his arm pit!
ReplyDeleteOh my god!!! the guy playing the Kora....That was really cool!! When I first saw the instrument I thought that it would have a unique sound that I have not heard before but it kind of sounds really similar to guitar but the way you would play it is different. Also, to play it using only two fingers on each hand...that was really cool!!!
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