US tour pays off for Zim musicians

The tour has paid off for the group who, along with Matanho Project, an American mbira outfit based in Washington, would be launching five musical CDs recorded during the tour.
The CDs launch will be happening this evening at the Mannenberg in the capital.
“It’s a cultural exchange programme and tonight people should expect something different about their traditional music,” says Matanho Project’s Cathy Crystal who plays mbira. Cathy and her colleagues — Dana Moffat, Rose Orskog and Donita Crosby — will partner Mbira dzeMuninga on two of the albums, Tiringeiwo and Shamwari Muninga. Other CDs to be launched include a solo work, Rovambira, by Micah Munhemo and Muninga and Sungano by the Zimbabwean group.
Mbira dzeMuninga band leader, Tigere Kahamadze, told The Financial Gazette that the music, which was produced during their tour of the US, was facilitated by Matanho Project, which also promotes collaboration between Zimbabwean and American artistes.
Mbira dzeMuninga band members — Jacob Mafuleni, Micah Munhemo, Tonderai Ndaba and Pitchson Ngoshi — are occasionally invited teach Zimbabwean traditional music in the US.