Mbira (/ ə m ˈ b ɪər ə / əm-BEER-ə) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with …

Aug 28, 2020 · The mbira instrument family includes mbira dzavadzimu (also known as nhare), mbira nyunganyunga (also popularly known as nyunga nyunga, nyonganyonga and karimba), …

Mbira pervades all aspects of Shona traditional culture, both sacred and secular. The most important function of mbira is as a “telephone to the spirits”, used to contact both deceased …

Apr 5, 2025 · mbira, plucked idiophone (instrument whose sounding parts are resonant solids belonging to the body of the instrument itself)—or more specifically, a lamellaphone—that is …

Feb 21, 2023 · A huge instrument family. The short answer is that these instruments belong to a huge family of instruments that are found all over Africa. Mbira has been used as a generic …

May 22, 2020 · It belongs to a family of musical instruments classified as lamellophones, and it is played in a number of different cultures across the African continent, each with their own name …

Of the different instruments in the mbira family, the most sacred and revered instrument is the 22-key Mbira dzaVadzimu or mbira of the ancestral spirits. Several versions of the same …

Mar 31, 2025 · Also known as mbira dzevadzimu (the mbira of the ancestors), the nhare mbira is easily Zimbabwe’s most globally recognised instrument. The nhare mbira is at the heart of …

In this accessible overview steeped in history and tradition, teacher and student Māhealani Uchiyama offers insights for learning about the mbira and actively engaging with it in an …

Feb 18, 2023 · The mbira, also known as the thumb piano, is a musical instrument that has been used for centuries by the people of Zimbabwe and neighboring countries in southern Africa. …