A Sacred Shona Instrument, A Living Tradition

The Mbira

There are several types of mbiras in Zimbabwe, and dozens of variations of mbira and kalimba played across the African continent. The most prominent form of mbira in Zimbabwe comes from the Shona people and is known as Mbira Dzavadzimu, “Mbira of the Ancestors.” Mbira Dzavadzimu is much more than a musical instrument. It is a sacred tool, a source of healing, and a key to ancestral memory. It is often called a “telephone to the ancestors” because of its ability to open a spiritual portal, creating a space for direct connection with the ancestral realm.

For over a thousand years, mbira music has been at the heart of Shona ceremonial life, particularly in the bira, nightlong gatherings where families and communities come together in music and prayer, inviting ancestral spirits to be present. The complex rhythms and melodies of mbira music and drumming, often accompanied by seed-filled gourd rattles known as hosho, create a beautiful and entrancing soundscape that can sometimes induce altered states of consciousness for both musicians and listeners.

The mbira is traditionally played by expert musicians known as gwenyambiras. In ceremonial settings, these musicians have the sacred responsibility of creating music that supports traditional spirit mediums and invites the ancestors to enter the space. In this way, mbira music is a bridge between our world and the world of the ancestors.

The hosho (shakers) also play a key role in bridging worlds, as they reinforce the rhythmic lock between musicians and, like many rattles used in sacred traditions around the world, serve as another trance-inducing tool. 

In this setting, and when mbira is played with this depth of awareness, it creates a conversation with the unseen that can support the arrival and presence of ancestors who come to dance, to offer insight, and to heal.

The Medicine of Mbira in Our Practice

At Ndoro Healing Arts, we honor the mbira and its music not only as a cultural treasure of the Shona people but also as an ancestral gift to the broader human family. It is an ancient spiritual technology that Shona artists and master musicians have generously shared with the world. While the instrument is rooted in Shona tradition, its impact ripples across cultures, and people of many ancestries have been touched by its medicine, inexplicably brought to tears by its sound, drawn to it through dreams, or awakened to the depths of their own spirituality.

Within our spiritual walk, mbira music is integral, woven through many ceremonial and healing practices. It can support journeys of deep remembrance, emotional release and rebalancing, and ancestral reconnection. (Yes, we all have ancestors.) For some, it amplifies intuition and awakens inner vision. For others, it creates a quiet space for reflection and meditation. It may stir something long dormant in the spirit or bring the spirit just what it has been seeking.

If you’ve found your way here, it may be that the mbira is already calling you, or perhaps your ancestors are guiding you toward this music so they might have the space to begin sharing their messages with you.

We’ll be waiting for you. 

If this speaks to you, you may wish to explore an Ancestral Oracle Reading or schedule an Alignment Call for an Ancestral Sound Healing Ceremony.