Celebrating mbira: Bira Rembira show set to honour Zimbabwe’s musical heritage

KUDZAI CHITSATSO 

HARARE – Gwanzura Stadium is set to host the much-anticipated Bira Rembira festival on Friday, September 27; a celebration dedicated to the iconic mbira instrument.

The mbira instrument 

The event will feature a lineup of celebrated musicians, including Jah Prayzah, Diana Mangwenya, Andy Muridzo, Hope Masike, Kurai Makore, and Amadhuve Sasha, among others.

Event director Partson Chimbodza, known as Chipaz, emphasized the significance of September as Mbira Month, highlighting the importance of honoring artists who incorporate the instrument into their music. 

"UNESCO recognized mbira as a tangible instrument for Zimbabwe and Malawi, so we need to celebrate it," he said. 

"Above all, they declared September as a mbira month, and we are celebrating it with most artists who use the mbira instrument for the first time as our cultural heritage."

The Bira Rembira will commence at 3 PM and continue into the night. 

The mbira has played a vital role in Southern African religious and cultural heritage. In 2005, it was added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

Renowned Zimbabwean musicians such as Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver Mtukudzi, Stella Chiweshe, and Chiwoniso Maraire have incorporated the mbira into various genres, demonstrating the instrument's enduring appeal. 

The mbira is also used as a means of communication with ancestors and spirits, holding a sacred place in the history and culture of Zimbabwe's Shona communities.

This event aims to revive the instrument's popularity amid the rise of urban-inspired music genres in Zimbabwe that are dominating the charts presently. It promises an eclectic celebration of the mbira, showcasing its cultural and historical significance. 

The mbira remains a symbol of musical originality in Zimbabwe, and the Bira Rembira seeks to reaffirm this unique aspect of the nation's heritage.