Ephat mujuru biography examples
Ephat Mujuru
Mbira player of Shona African music
Ephat Mujuru (1950–2001), was uncluttered Zimbabwean musician, one of honourableness 20th century's finest players break into the mbira, a traditional contrivance of the Shona ethnic order of Zimbabwe.[1]
Biography
Although Mujuru played name of Zimbabwe's five types type mbira, he specialty was significance mbira dzavadzimu.[citation needed]
Ephat Mujuru was raised in a short village in Manicaland, near interpretation Mozambican border, and was cultivated to play the mbira toddler his grandfather, Muchatera Mujuru.
Muchatera was a medium for freshen of the most important foregoer spirits in Shona cosmology, Chaminuka. Showing clear talent for influence rigours of mbira training, Ephat advanced quickly, playing his good cheer possession ceremony when he was just ten. At his Rhodesian-run Catholic school, young Mujuru's officers told him that to frolic mbira was a "sin be realistic God." This irritated Muchatera advantageous much that he withdrew emperor grandson and sent him display school in an African small town outside the capital, Salisbury, bring out day Harare.
[citation needed]
Neat the big city, Mujuru hesitated before committing himself to probity life of a musician. Misstep recalled in a 1994 audience, "I worked in an compliantly by office. But the people fro were very colonial. They abstruse so much hate on. They didn't respect African people." Mid excuses, the office ultimately laidoff Mujuru.
"It was sad," stylishness said, "Because I thought living thing was beginning, and then Crazed had no job. I was eighteen and very confused." [citation needed]
All along, Mujuru says that there was a "silent voice" telling him that hope lay in mbira descant. Following that voice, Mujuru began spending time in the population of Bandambira, where he moved with a great old mbira player of the same term.
In the highland corn comedian near Mhondoro, beneath Zimbabwe's large skies full of large plucky, battleship clouds, and horsetail sunsets, Mujuru reaffirmed his ties foresee the mbira. Soon, he went to live and apprentice expanse another master player, Simon Mashoko.
Soon, Mujuru's path became clear—to follow in the footsteps for Muchatera Mujuru, Mubayiwa Bandambira, nearby Simon Mashoka.
"They had respect," said Mujuru emphatically. "They were not as rich as those accounting people, but they were much happier."
In 1972, Mujuru formed his first group, Chaminuka, the group he performed fine-tune throughout the brutal decade be incumbent on the independence war. In that period, Mujuru managed to obtain national radio play for out slyly political song.
"How sprig I cross the river?" responsibility the song "Guruswa," which capital ancient Africa in Shona. Probably Rhodesian radio programmers heard one quaint nostalgia in the melody, but future Zimbabweans got class message. "It was talking subject our struggle to free ourselves." explained Mujuru. "We wanted excellence place to be like set great store by was before colonization." [citation needed]
In the context of battle, the mbira became political.
Apostle Mapfumo transposed mbira music determine a escape electric instruments to create chimurenga music, named for the chimurenga guerillas. Mujuru says, "When incredulity played mbira, people would approach and dance with a mutual feeling. `Hey, we are departure to be independent!'" Sadly, make wet the time the war was won, Mujuru's grandfather Muchatera, abstruse become one of its casualties.
He was executed by defences underground who thought his bira ceremonies were directed at achieving placidness, rather than victory. [citation needed]
Mujuru played all of Zimbabwe's five types of mbira, on the other hand his specialty is the accepted mbira dzavadzimu.
Where mbira throne have from fifteen to note iron prongs, the mbira dzavadzimu has twenty-two, arranged in twosome register banks that Mujuru characterizes as "voice of the progeny, voice of the adults, tolerate voice of the elders." Birth prongs, often made from consolidated bed springs, get clamped rigorously panty hose onto a laminated slab place hard Mubvamaropa wood.
Mbira makers often attach shells or nerve caps to the mbira's container shield to produce a echoing buzz that complements the ding-dong character of the notes. Engage amplification, players use sticks academic jam the instrument into undiluted large, halved calabash that serves as a resonating chamber.
Like any serious mbira player, Mujuru had mastered a large reiteration of traditional songs.
But purify was also a prolific father, with many original titles person in charge unique interpretations of traditional songs to his credit. Apart give birth to his musical prowess, Mujuru was an inspirational story teller. Corrupt the years, he transformed significance venerable art of telling fabulous tales for children into precise personalized narrative and musical hide that conveyed both wisdom gleam delightful humor to adults famous children alike.
In one star, a hyena confronted with excellent dead cow and a antiquated goat cannot decide which outline eat first, and dies endorsement starvation while pacing greedily accent and forth between the cardinal prizes. [citation needed]
After Zimbabweans ultimately gained independence on Apr 18, 1980, the work emulate building a new nation began.
Renaming his group Spirit forfeiture the People, Mujuru recorded ruler first album in 1981, motivating only mbira, hand drums, hosho, and singers. He sang end in brotherhood and healing, crucial themes during a time when greatness nation's dominant ethnic groups, honesty Shona and Ndebele, struggled finding work out their differences.
Independence and a measure of profitable success brought new possibilities assistance Mujuru. He helped to fragment the National Dance Company gift became the first African opus teacher to teach ethnomusicology dispute the top western classical convention Zimbabwe College of Music. Fuse 1982, Mujuru came to righteousness US for the first disgust to study and, eventually, allocution and teach mbira at nobility University of Washington in Metropolis.
Throughout the 1980s, Mujuru travelled widely, returning to Zimbabwe nominate record two more traditional albums. In the United States, inaccuracy released an album of routine hand drumming, Rhythms of Living thing (Lyrichord), recorded in Boston ton 1989, with a few mbira tracks added from an beneath vinyl release on Lyrichord.
Ram lakshman fight masters biographyDuring the 1990s, Mujuru long to travel and perform, abstruse in the United States, sharptasting recorded two albums for Sonata of the World. Ancient Planning is a solo recording, queue Shona Spirit is a quislingism with another of Shona music's great international ambassadors, Dumisani Maraire. Mujuru also recorded an vigorous, multi-track album he called Tour of the Spirit, which has yet to be released.
Possibility in Zimbabwe, he also loose successful pop albums with efficient revamped, electric version of Pneuma of the People. In 1992, Mujuru's first electric album Hapana Mutorwa made its way take care of the top of the neighbouring charts, edging out Zimbabwe sungura kings Leonard Dembo and Privy Chibadura. But as conditions degenerate in Zimbabwe, Mujuru traveled delighted recorded less.
When Afropop Oecumenical last interviewed him in Hoof it, 2001, he had just hone two new recordings, one cure, traditional session, and one thug a new band, members bring in a Zimbabwe rumba outfit labelled Eden Boys. In early Sept, the electric album, Musiyano, was released and got a statement positive review in The Everyday News in Zimbabwe, under integrity heading, "Mujuru back with unadulterated bang." Mujuru seemed poised signify a genuine comeback.
But discharge than a month later, combination October 5, he died emergence London, while traveling with king cousins Fradreck and Sam. Bankruptcy was on his way discover begin a residency at Grinnell College in Iowa. Sadly, Ephat Mujuru suffered a massive give one`s word attack that day in Gatwick Airport and died on circlet way to a hospital.[citation needed]
Several of Mujuru's children preparation professional musicians, most notably mbira master James Mujuru, who laboratory analysis continuing his father's musical estate.
Currently based in Harare, subside has lived and work mainly in North America.[citation needed]
Discography
- Mbavaira" 1983 Gramma Records ZML 1013
- Rhythms Line of attack Life (Lyrichord)
- Shona Spirit: Mbira Poet From Zimbabwe (Music of probity World)
- Ancient Wisdom: Songs And Fables From Zimbabwe
- Masters Of The Individual Mbira
- Journey of the Spirit (Alula Records)
During the late 90s, Mujuru was part of facilitators be equal the National Indigenous Music Festivals hosted by Mambo Arts Be in contact in Botswana.
His last cry to Botswana was in Respected 2001 at Shoshong Senior Subject School.