"Can you explain how you fall in love? asks Erica Azim. In a certain way it's an impossible question. Yet it's a conundrum the Berkeley native has contemplated for half a century, every time she's asked about her abiding passion for mbira, which is both the traditional music of the Shona people of Zimbabwe and the thumb piano-like instrument that's the primary medium for their celebrations and ceremonies."
"Azim's commitment to supporting musicians, healers and instrument-makers in the southern African nation has turned Berkeley into an unlikely center of cultural preservation. Over the past four decades Azim has built the nonprofit she founded and runs, MBIRA, into one of the world's foremost archives of the incantatory Shona art form, spreading awareness through recordings, in-person workshops, performances, online lessons, and the sale of thousands of mbiras built in Zimbabwe by Shona artisans."
"The vast catalog includes recordings and videos, mostly made by Azim herself on trips through rural Zimbabwe, providing a welcoming portal for anyone intrigued by mbira, which is often used in summoning ancestral spirits to healing rituals. All sales proceeds are funneled back to artists, providing a lifeline in a region beset by persistent drought and corruption-driven economic decline."
Erica Azim, a Berkeley native, has devoted more than four decades to supporting mbira music, musicians and instrument-makers in Zimbabwe. She founded and runs the nonprofit MBIRA, which collects and distributes recordings, videos, instruments and educational resources. MBIRA has sold thousands of mbiras crafted by Shona artisans and has funneled significant funds back to artists, including more than $1.6 million. The organization offers in-person workshops, performances, online lessons and a streaming service with over 450 hours of mbira performances. Many recordings were made on trips to rural Zimbabwe and document mbira's role in ancestral healing rituals.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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