Zimbabwean Dance and Drum: Chartwell Dutiro
September 22, 2015
11:00 AM - 12:20 AM
Spurrier Dance Studio
Zimbabwean Dance and Drum . . . Chartwell Dutiro (Zimbabwean mbira music, song, and dance)
Throughout much of Southern Africa, the word “ngoma” means drum; by extension, it can also refer to the general concept of music itself. Yet ngoma also denotes specific musical styles that combine drumming, dance, and song. In addition, there is often a ritual dimension to ngoma, which is fundamental to ceremonies focused around individual and social healing.
With its long history of ritual, political, and social significance, ngoma continues to represent a dynamic and evolving cultural practice, placing it at the center of both colonial and postcolonial contests over musical and social meaning. Mobilizing this long-standing Southern African aesthetics of poetic performance, ngoma performers have long taken advantage of song’s special license as a form of social criticism, crafting new lyrics that have protested various aspects of both colonial and postcolonial rule.
During their artist-in-residency, Chinyakare members and Dumbutshena will offer several events. Foremost among them will be a public performance in Spurrier, required for students enrolled in MUR 210 “Ngoma: Drumming, Dance, and Ritual in Southern Africa,” MHS 590 “Acoustic Africa”, and ENS 217 “Advanced Mbira Ensemble.”Category: Dance