Gift Rushambwa at work

These photos of mbira maker Gift Rushambwa show him (1) at work making mbiras outside his house in Norton, Zimbabwe; (2) doing final tuning and touch-ups before delivering mbiras; and (3) with his wife and some of his 5 children...and the house, furnishings and car (no longer running) bought solely from the proceeds of past MBIRA sales of his instruments. Sadly, because US dollars no longer have huge buying power in Zimbabwe, mbira makers are once again struggling to make ends meet, and cover basic expenses of food, clothing and school fees for their children. A biography of Gift Rushambwa will be added to this website soon.

To buy an mbira by Gift Rushambwa, scroll looking for his name in the catalog.

2009 photos by Kaia Wong and Erica Azim.