Fundraiser: Recording the Hera players from Rushinga

https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/9gS98nOSBh – please share!

Now that Sekuru Chawasarira’s Useza album has turned out so wonderfully, we want to attempt an even more ambitious project: producing an album with the Hera players from Rushinga, of whom there is no recording yet.

Bernel Mugomeza, Mishek Nyamukuvhengu, Gilbert Chimedza playing Gwiranehwizi (or Kanotamba mubani), with Ferbby Mugomeza (hosho) and mother Marasabure (vocals). Video by James Kamwaza

Matepe/Hera is notoriously difficult to record (in my opinion, one reason why this mbira is relatively little known). The best-sounding field recording I know is Yuji Matsuhira’s album with the Zonke Family.

Going to a studio in Harare would be far too expensive, and we don’t have the equipment for a 10+ track field recording. Therefore, we want to try a new approach: first record the performance of the entire group, then record each player’s part again individually with microphones and pickups on top of the playback.

This overdub approach worked very well for Useza, and the individual tracks allow us to later produce a good sound on the computer.

I’m not sure if something like this has ever been attempted before in field recordings; probably not with mbira. So it’s also an open-ended experiment. If it works, the approach could certainly inspire more great-sounding mbira ensemble recordings in the future.

We’re planning to start around the second week of August. The recordings will be conducted by Kuda Samora Nyaruwabvu who also recorded Sekuru Chawasarira’s album. We’re using equipment from our matepe.org project. The funds will pay for Samora’s trip to and stay at Nyanhewe village, where the project will take place, and to pay the musicians an advance fee.

James Kamwaza, Misheck Nyamukuvhengu playing Ndonda, with Funywell Chasafare (Hosho), Monica Chasafare (vocals)

This is a completely non-profit project with a minimal budget. Ideally, the end result will be an album that we can release on a label, bringing the musicians a little extra money and international attention. As with Useza, my friends and I receive no compensation for the production and our studio work; 100% of the funds go to Zimbabwe.

We expect a budget of €700 to be sufficient, but more will enable us to pay the musicians better or/and bring in additional players from further awayTatenda Cangola, so he can both assist and learn to operate the recording the recording equipment for similar projects on the Mozambican side [<- updated plan]. In the past few weeks, I’ve been giving a few mbira workshops in Berlin with the goal of raising funds for the project. I’ve already deposited the amount into the PayPal pool.

If you like the project please contribute: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/9gS98nOSBh


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