MBIRATHON

What is the Mbirathon?

Mbira players at locations around the world joining to keep traditional Shona mbira music played continuously for 24 hours.

When is it?

From 6 pm on 26 January, to 6 pm on 27 January, 2008 (local time zone for each location). Please participate for the time you have available, whether one hour or the whole 24 hours.

What is the purpose of the Mbirathon?

1. Honoring the common ancestors and ancestry of all humankind, and fostering individual, community, and global healing. Background: Mbira is used in Shona culture (Zimbabwe) for healing, and for communication with ancestors, including those who are the common ancestors of all human beings alive on earth today. The vibration of mbira music is itself healing, whether or not you believe in communication with ancestors.

2. Fundraising for the MBIRA Musicians Fund, which subsidizes the royalty payments to our 135 Zimbabwean recording artists, so that every musician receives a minimum payment each year (often about US$35), even if there were few or no sales of their recording. This helps to support both mbira music and respect for traditional culture in Zimbabwe.

The Organization

MBIRA is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to educate the public regarding traditional music of Zimbabwe, including Shona mbira music, and to develop a library of recordings to preserve that music.

One of the primary objectives of MBIRA is to support Zimbabwean traditional musicians and instrument makers during this time of economic collapse, famine, and epidemic (AIDS) in Zimbabwe. This also helps to preserve other positive aspects of traditional Shona culture.

MBIRA’s activities (publishing recordings, selling instruments, and collecting tax-deductible donations) now provide support to 135 traditional musicians and 11 traditional instrument makers in Zimbabwe. As this income is distributed to extended families, over 1,300 people, including AIDS orphans supported by the families (1 in 4 children is now an orphan), benefit from MBIRA’s activities. The funds are typically spent on food, health care and school fees.

Wider impacts include greater respect for traditional musicians, restored faith in traditional belief systems integral with the music, and new interest by the younger generation in traditional instrument making, as well as playing.