Svikiro: Meditations of an Mbira Master – Forward Kwenda (with Erica Azim)

Description

In Zimbabwe, a savannah land of tall grasses, granite hills and acacia trees, rain is of paramount importance. The svikiro is a human keeper of a spirit which has the power to provide or withhold rain from the land. In his early teens, Forward Kwenda was selected by these rainmaking spirits to sing and play the ancient mbira dzavadzimu at ceremonies. A self-taught, intuitive musical prodigy, Forward was in constant demand to perform and record within two years of starting to play the mbira. ‘When I pick up my mbira, I don’t know what is going to happen..the music just goes by itself, taking me higher and higher until I can end up crying because the music is so much greater than a human being can understand.’ This is the first Forward Kwenda CD; Erica Azim plays with Forward on some cuts. (Shanachie) [Total time: 70:04]