The Technique of the Mbira Dza Vadzimu

Mbira dza Vadzimu literally translates as “the voice of the ancestor spirits.” The film uses close-ups, animation, and other cinematic techniques to demonstrate Mbira tonal scale, song structure, harmony, chord movement and variations, as well as the cross-rhythmic interplay of the left and right hands. It shows different styles of playing a song, and the interweaving of two Mbiras in duet. The film provides deeper insights into the techniques of this African music, and serves as a basis for an understanding of the music played throughout the Mbira series.