MBIRA

Cause Area

  • Arts & Culture
  • Education & Literacy
  • Hunger
  • International

Location

PO BOX 7863BERKELEY, CA 94707 United States
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Organization Information

Mission Statement

MBIRA is a non-profit organization that celebrates and helps to sustain the ancient musical traditions of Zimbabwe. MBIRA supports Zimbabwean musicians and instrument makers, and their families, through worldwide Zimbabwean music education, recordings, and performances. In a country with over 90% unemployment, this provides critical support in the daily struggle for survival. MBIRA has also created the largest archive of Shona mbira music in the world, which is a permanent resource for generations to come.

Description

Located in central Berkeley, CA, MBIRA makes recordings of traditional Zimbabwean musicians, and Zimbabwean instruments, available to the world. MBIRA currently supports over 300 musicians and instrument makers in Zimbabwe, including sponsoring food deliveries to musicians during Covid-19 shutdown there. MBIRA has offered Zimbabwean music workshops, lessons, and concerts, as well as school presentations in the U.S. Through donations, MBIRA has provided sets of traditional mbira instruments to schools in Zimbabwe, and pays music teachers, so that the endangered mbira tradition can be taught to school children.

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