Various Artists
The Soul of Mbira
Nonesuch Explorer Series (US) 1973
H-72054 (LP) w/company’s inner sleeve, insert.
sleeve : VG+(SPSE:small damage on top and side, SPSE/TOC: 2cm tear and tape on top, light collapse on one corner, light dirts, color-faded.)
media : EX-/EX(some slightly noise. A1 has one light click noise.)
Produced by Paul Berliner — a multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist known for deeply exploring African music, including his acclaimed work “The Sun Rises Late Here” featured in OBSCURE SOUND REVISED EDITION — this 1973 field recording album was released on Nonesuch’s Explorer Series, the label’s world music division. It documents performances of mbira (thumb piano) music by the Shona people of central Africa, who reside in the region surrounding what was then Rhodesia. On A1, layers of shaker rhythms and mbira melodies interweave with chants and calls emerging from different directions, creating a mesmerizing polyrhythmic tapestry. A3 features captivating chants that rise and fall through a unique falsetto style, both strange and beautiful. Throughout, the album captures traditional music rooted in daily life, expressing a wide range of human emotions and experiences. The recording quality is outstanding — warm, intimate, and organic — a true masterpiece that radiates with simplicity and depth. You can clearly sense the early roots of minimal music in these performances.
A1: Nhemamusasa
A2: Taireva