MBIRA player and songbird Hope Masike says appreciation of mbira-fused traditional music and other sounds has greatly improved.
“Over the years Zimbabweans have improved in their appreciation of mbira music, especially considering its history during colonisation.
The increase of mbira-based or mbira infusing bands and music is a huge contributory factor,” Masike told NewsDay Life & Style.
The multi-talented Masike, who is also an author and poet, said although people were attending mbira music shows locally, it had a larger following beyond the borders.
“From hard core mbira pop like Jah Prayzah’s vibe to much more classical or traditional like Mawungira eNharira and Mbira DzeNharira, mbira shows are certainly having attendees, but as the saying goes, a prophet is not celebrated at home,” she noted.
“There is a bigger collective audience beyond our borders than locally.
"This, however, can be explained logically by the reasoning that mbira is still very exotic and new in many parts of the world and is quite a common sound here at
home.”
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Some of Masike’s popular songs include Mbira Yangu, Idenga, Huyai Tinamate and Machakaire.
Away from the studio, Masike is the author of Ask Me Again (2020), Dzevabvazera (2022) and Die With Me (2023).
