The Music
Mbira


The mbira was conceptualized by the Shona people of Zimbabwe. It can be traced back well over 1000 years. There are many types of thumb-piano, or 'kalimba', played throughout Africa, but mbira dzavadzimu is quite unique, with its own exclusive repertoire.

In Shona ceremony, the music of the mbira has the power to bring the presence of ancestral spirits. Mbira music helps connect the living with their ancestors and provides the community with strength and encouragement.
The Cherokee Morning Song as performed by the group Walela sounded familiar to me........It turns out that this same melody was one of the tumes that my Mom would often hum while while I was a child. This familiar tune is a kind of a song which one would chant while entering the river in the morning to give thanks for the new day, and to wash away any feelings separating you from your family, neighbors, or the Creator.”
The Band

Alan Kekoa Aki on Tahitian percussion and Tahitian 'ukulele, Avelina Brown on bass and harmony vocals, Kristin Lihau Fujie on harmony vocals, Hugh Humphrey on Tahitian and African percussion and drum set, Victor Manasala on Tahitian percussion, Ashley Wai'olu Moore on lead, slide and rhythm guitar as well as harmony vocals, Aaron Sencil on Tahitian percussion and flute, Galen Soria on Tahitian percussion and 'ukulele, Don Soria on Tahitian percussion and 'ukulele, Mahealani Uchiyama on African, Hawaiian and Tahitian percussion, frame drum, 'ukulele, mbira and lead vocals.
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