MBIRA Activities

The activities of MBIRA-the non-profit organization include:

1. Offer mbira instruction in the formats of private lessons, weekend intensive workshops and 8-day residential Mbira Camps.

2. Develop and catalog a library of recordings of traditional Shona music, and make these recordings available to the public through sales of recordings to universities and individuals. Proceeds of the sale of each recording go to the Zimbabwean musicians who performed on each recording ($12 goes to the musicians, $8 to MBIRA's expenses, as compared to $1 to the musicians on a typical commercial recording).

3. Obtain mbiras from Zimbabwean instrument makers for students who need them to take MBIRA workshops, and universities. Proceeds go to the instrument maker. MBIRA now has a $50 mark-up which covers our expenses to tune and maintain mbiras after arrival in the US, and do the bookkeeping. The instruments are often in poor condition after traveling 10,000 miles through the mail in marginal packing materials, so fixing them up is an important part of what we do.

4. Sponsor and organize tours by Shona mbira players, including visa sponsorship and soliciting targeted donations for this purpose. Support US tours by additional Shona mbira players by organizing concerts and workshops and publicizing them.

5. Provide help to students traveling to Zimbabwe to study traditional music, including information on music teachers, lodging, transportation, etc.