Story by Farai Gwaze
Traditional instruments remain the lifeblood of Zimbabwe’s arts industry amid conviction that it is the best way of fostering cultural preservation.
The arts industry is playing a critical role in preserving local culture with the latest being a musical performance dubbed the “Village To Town, Back To The Village”.
Co-produced by Othenell ‘Mangoma’ Moyo and Mary Anibel the production skillfully captures the story behind the effects of rural to urban migration while promoting cultural preservation.
“We are starting with sounds from the village as they were taught to us. Then we look at what we did with those sounds when we came to the city. I grew up in Bulawayo and Mary in Harare so we will highlight that in our performance creatively through our lived experiences,” said Mangoma.
“There is a disconnect with our roots and heritage, so this concept is appreciating where we came from to now and also going back because it’s important to remember what we learnt from our elders,” said Mary.
The musical production incorporates 12 indigenous instruments, reflecting the richness of the country’s diverse cultures.
“We will be highlighting different instruments, but we’ll mostly be using the mbira. We are not limiting it to only the ones used by Zezuru’s but also the diversity of Ndau, Korekore, Buja and many others who are linked to the east with Mozambique and the South with South Africa,” Mangoma said.
The Zimbabwe German Society in Harare is set to host the duo’s performance which is a mix of ethnic sounds this Saturday.
