Mbira – Scaramanga in D

Mbira is an ancient mystical instrument that originated amongst the Shona people of Zimbabwe. In its traditional context, it is utilised as a “telephone to the spirits” within ceremonies that are known as ‘Bira’, called amongst communities who wish to commune with the ancestral realm. It is said that the appearance of an mbira in your hands (or the calling to meditate with mbira music) is a blessing of healing and peace from the depths of your own inner worlds, or ancestry. People all around the world have been united by the depth and beauty of Mbira music.

African Drumming is now stocking Mbira instruments made by legendary maker and master musician Garikai Tirikoti of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Garikai is widely renowned as the creator of an intricate orchestral form that uses seven different tunings. He is known in the language of Shona as a Gwenyambira – literally, one who is the holder of everything: the ancestors, our humanity, and our moral behaviour. A short film about Garikai can Thebe found through this link: