A Journey Through The Mbira

Tanaka plays three traditional songs on the nyunganyunga mbira in this performance. The first one is “Nhemamusasa”, a traditional song that was sung during the farming season. The second one is called “Vana vanogwara”, a traditional song that is calling to the ancestors for help as children are suffering and they need ancestral help. The third song is called “Ndoende Kariba”, which is a song by a Zimbabwean artist called Thomas Mapfumo. It talks about how he hopes to travel to a town called ‘Kariba’ to see a woman he met who was so beautiful. Tanaka learnt how to play these songs between the ages of 10 and 16.