Pasichigare: Mystic Mbira Music of Zimbabwe

Chartwell Dutiro is the artistic director of the Mhararano Mbira Academy in Devon, England. He is one of the leading exponents of Shona mbira (thumb-piano) music having learned the instrument as a child in a village in Zimbabwe, at a time when traditional music was banned by colonial powers. In the late 80s and early 90s Dutiro was a key member of Thomas Mapfumo’s group in which he played saxophone and mbira.

On this double CD he is joined by two experienced German mbira players and the result is a lengthy, enjoyable, and uplifting series of spiritual conversations. While the sound of the mbira is often delicate and tranquil, it is balanced by Dutiro’s vocals, which are certainly not for the faint hearted. While at times the singing may appear to be harsh and occasionally off-pitch, it does add to the meditative and hypnotic effect of the overall experience. Equally striking are the buzzing effects produced by metal bottle tops attached to the instruments, and the incessant rhythmic patterns of the Hosho gourd shakers, which accompany the interlocked three-way mbira melodies. This is an excellent example of Zimbabwe’s Shona traditional music.