Zimfest 2004 Update
July 29
We are happy to announce that we have confirmed that teachers
David Gweshe and Zivanai Masango will be joining us for Zimfest!
(See also: July 16 Update.)
Teacher biographies and new workshop descriptions are below.
We have added the following classes with David Gweshe:
- Relating Different Instruments to the Mbira and Marimba — session #1 Friday 10:00-12:00
- Advanced Mbira: Chipembere — session #2 Friday 1:00-3:00
- Storytelling — session #3 Friday 4:00-6:00
- Shona Joyful Singing — session #4 Saturday 10:00-12:00
- Shona Language and Culture — session #5 Saturday 1:00-3:00
- Kore Kore Rhythm and Dance — session #7 Sunday 10:00-12:00
- Shona Ceremonial Singing — session #8 Sunday 1:00-3:00
- Shona Spirituality — session #9 Sunday 4:00-5:30
David Gweshe will be available for pre-festival lessons in mbira or
other musical arts on Thursday, August 12.
The following classes with Zivanai Masango replace the classes
offered by Nicholas Manomano, who is unfortunately unable to come to Zimfest this year.
If you were signed up for one of those classes, you have been automatically registered in
the new ones. You also have the option of changing your enrollment if you would like to.
- Intermediate Marimba: Understanding African Rhythms: 6/8 Mbira Style —
session #1 Friday 10:00-11:00 REPLACES Manomano — Dexterity Exercises
- Adv Beg/Intermediate Marimba: Developing a Song —
session #2 Friday 1:00-2:30 REPLACES Manomano — Developing a Song
- Intermediate Marimba: Understanding African Rhythms: 4/4 Chikende Style —
session #4 Saturday 10:00-11:30 REPLACES Manomano — Phrasing System on Marimba
- Advanced Marimba: Ndebele Rhythms — session #8 Sunday 1:00-2:30
REPLACES Manomano — Composing Your Own Songs
- Intermediate Marimba: Understanding African Rhythms: 3/4 Mhande Style —
session #9 Sunday 4:00-5:00 REPLACES Manomano - Using Marimba Keyboard
And we will be offering these new classes with Zivanai Masango:
- Shona Style Guitar — session #3 Friday 4:00-6:00
- Adv Beg Marimba: Hondo — session #5 Saturday 1:00-3:00
- Adv Beg/Intermediate Marimba: Developing a Song — session #7 Sunday 10:00-11:30
Registration will only remain open through this Saturday, July 31,
but don’t worry, you can register at the festival as well.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all in two weeks!
— Zimfest 2004 Planning Committee
New Teachers
David Tafaneyi Gweshe is a
spiritual leader and lecturer, a dance choreographer, musician, composer, storyteller, and
ethnomusicologist. Born in 1940, Sekuru Gweshe, a descendant of the Lion Totem clan, comes
from the Kore Kore people. He began playing njari at age 14 and over time added keys in
order to “play all the parts” of the music that he heard in his head. This is
how Gweshe devised the 56-key Munyonga mbira that he plays. He is a true pioneer of
Zimbabwean music, constantly expanding the boundaries of traditional Shona music. Whether
playing mbira at a bira ceremony or leading a group playing electric guitars and marimba,
the wisdom of his spirituality comes through. Gweshe formed The Boterekwa Dance Troupe 24
years ago, a dance troupe for children which is now recognized as one of Africa’s
finest troupes and has toured through much of the world. He introduced Kore Kore dances
throughout Zimbabwe. On his spiritual missions abroad, he has shared the stage with
leaders of Christian, Hindu, Moslem, and Jewish faiths as well as with the spiritual
leader of Tibet, the Dali Lama.
Zivanai Masango has been a musician from
as early as he can remember and he began playing marimba at the age of 10. He taught music
at Prince Edward school in Harare with teachers such as Musekiwa Chingodza and Nicholas
Manomano in 1998. He toured Zimbabwe, Europe and America from 2000 through 2004 with
Thomas Mapfumo as a keyboardist, trumpet player and guitarist. He also has worked with
Chris Berry and Panjea, Tanga Wekwa Sando (a township jazz artist from Zimbabwe) and
countless other bands in Zimbabwe and South Africa. He has also produced his own live
production called Musatisiye, which tells a history of Zimbabwe through song. It premiered
on Where’s The One’s African Music series in New York City in May. He has come
to be one of Zimbabwe’s most respected studio engineers and music producers, having
produced and recorded some of the best selling albums of all time in Zimbabwe and
elsewhere, including Chris Berry’s all acoustic album Hold On. He is currently
teaching African Guitar at Tribal Soundz in New York City and doing workshops in and
around New York.
New Workshop Descriptions
Dance
Kore Kore Rhythm and Dance
#7 Sun. 10:00–12:00
David Gweshe will introduce several ceremonial dances: the rain dance Mapfuve, Makwingwindo from the western areas of Zimbabwe, Mhemberwa from the areas around Mt Darwin, and Njada from the Guruve district.
Level: Introductory
Limit: 30
Materials: No audio/video taping, please.
Guitar
Relating Different Instruments to the Mbira and Marimba
#1 Fri. 10:00–12:00
In this workshop David Gweshe will work with musicians on ways to relate different instruments (guitars, drums, etc.) to the marimba and mbira. The workshop is for all musicians: mbira, marimba, guitar, trumpet, drums, whatever.
Level: Intermediate
Limit: 12
Materials: No audio/video taping, please. Bring your own instruments. Marimbas will be available in the classroom.
Shona Style Guitar
#3 Fri. 4:00–6:00
In this class we will study the way the guitar is used to complement mbira or marimba in traditional Zimbabwean music.
Level: Intermediate
Limit: 20
Materials: Audio/video taping OK. Bring a guitar.
Prerequisite: For people already possessing a considerable ability to play guitar.
Marimba
Advanced Beginning Marimba: Hondo
#5 Sat. 1:00–3:00
We will do our own arrangement of a song by Thomas Mapfumo called Hondo. We will develop a basic understanding of the 6/8 mbira rhythm. This class will be taught on marimbas with F#s.
Level: Advanced Beginning
Limit: 10
Materials: Audio/video taping OK.
Advanced Beginning/Intermediate Marimba: Developing a Song
#2 Fri. 1:00–2:30 OR
#7 Sun. 10:00–11:30 ADDED
A song will be chosen, to which parts will be composed and added during class so as to develop an understanding of how parts should complement each other in a well balanced song. This class will be taught on marimbas with F#s.
Level: Advanced Beginning/Intermediate
Limit: 10
Materials: Audio/video taping OK.
Intermediate Marimba: Understanding African Rhythms: 6/8 Mbira Style
#1 Fri. 10:00–11:00
Emphasis has often been put on amazing dexterity and speed, but a lot of marimba students have problems understanding the tricky syncopated rhythms more than anything else. As a result, people know how to play songs, but do not know the music. So it becomes hard for many people to create songs or to play songs other than those particular ones that they were taught. In this class, emphasis is put on ways to better understand those rhythms, through practicing the most common phrases and ‘riffs’ etc. We will try to cultivate more of an understanding of the basic aspects of the music, and that coupled with dexterity and speed, will create fine marimba players. This class will be taught on marimbas with F#s.
Level: Intermediate
Limit: 15
Materials: Audio/video taping OK.
Intermediate Marimba: Understanding African Rhythms: 4/4 Chikende Style
#4 Sat. 10:00–11:30
Emphasis has often been put on amazing dexterity and speed, but a lot of marimba students have problems understanding the tricky syncopated rhythms more than anything else. As a result, people know how to play songs, but do not know the music. So it becomes hard for many people to create songs or to play songs other than those particular ones that they were taught. In this class, emphasis is put on ways to better understand those rhythms, through practicing the most common phrases and ‘riffs’ etc. We will try to cultivate more of an understanding of the basic aspects of the music, and that coupled with dexterity and speed, will create fine marimba players. This class will be taught on marimbas with F#s.
Level: Intermediate
Limit: 10
Materials: Audio/video taping OK.
Intermediate Marimba: Understanding African Rhythms: 3/4 Mhande Style
#9 Sun. 4:00–5:00
Emphasis has often been put on amazing dexterity and speed, but a lot of marimba students have problems understanding the tricky syncopated rhythms more than anything else. As a result, people know how to play songs, but do not know the music. So it becomes hard for many people to create songs or to play songs other than those particular ones that they were taught. In this class, emphasis is put on ways to better understand those rhythms, through practicing the most common phrases and ‘riffs’ etc. We will try to cultivate more of an understanding of the basic aspects of the music, and that coupled with dexterity and speed, will create fine marimba players. This class will be taught on marimbas with F#s.
Level: Intermediate
Limit: 10
Materials: Audio/video taping OK.
Advanced Marimba: Ndebele Rhythms
#8 Sun. 1:00–2:30
We will do a song using the rhythm commonly used by the Ndebele in Southern Zimbabwe, which is similar to the Mbaqanga rhythm of South Africa. This class will be taught on marimbas with F#s.
Level: Advanced
Limit: 10
Materials: Audio/video taping OK.
Mbira
Advanced Mbira: Chipembere
#2 Fri. 1:00–3:00
David Gweshe will talk about the spiritual content and context of the mbira. He will take the song Chipembere as an example for different regional name versions to the mbira songs. In the Kore-Kore version, this number would be “Chikomo che Hurungwe.” He will teach the music from his mbira so that the players of the mbira they call “DzaVadzimu” will learn the piece.
Level: Advanced
Limit: 10
Materials: No audio/video taping, please. Bring a G mixolydian (marimba tuned) Nyamaropa tuned mbira, or some may be provided.
Presentations, Lectures & Discussions
Storytelling
#3 Fri. 4:00–6:00
This class will depict the way how our ancestors dealt with problems and dealt with counseling. They would counsel directly or resort to stories or parables — teaching through storytelling. This class is offered “by donation” and pre-registration is not required.
Level: All
Limit: 20
Materials: No audio/video taping, please.
Shona Language and Culture
#5 Sat. 1:00–3:00
A general Shona culture lecture (as opposed to his specific lecture about spirituality) covering marriages, the different roles played by the father, mother, and children, the role of chiefs and headmen, and more. David will also introduce basics of the Shona language. This class is offered “by donation” and pre-registration is not required.
Level: All
Limit: 20
Materials: No audio/video taping, please.
Shona Spirituality
#9 Sun. 4:00–5:30
Sekuru Gweshe will present a unique spirituality workshop. One of his major missions abroad is to introduce the true essence of Shona spirituality to the west. He will offer a comparison between modern Christianity and traditional spirituality. This class is offered “by donation” and pre-registration is not required.
Level: All
Limit: Unlimited
Materials: No audio/video taping, please.
Singing
Shona Joyful Singing
#4 Sat. 10:00–12:00
Before the advent of television and cinema, we African people had some ways of entertaining ourselves during the full moon shine. Groups would come from different villages and come to a common venue, and they would entertain themselves by singing and dancing. The singing in this class is going to be related to that context — joyful music which can introduce people to joyful dance.
Level: Introductory
Limit: 20
Materials: No audio/video taping, please.
Shona Ceremonial Singing
#8 Sun. 1:00–3:00
David Gweshe will introduce some ceremonial music, and will explain the content of the song, where it is sung, why, and the message it has.
Level: Introductory
Limit: 20
Materials: No audio/video taping, please.
