And was respirited by a visit to the house concert at Licia’s house. Marian Grebanier, Cosmas Magaya, Nathan Beck, and Eric Orem performed many traditional songs with Cosmas telling stories about the mbira and the songs. He also said that he was the last member alive of his original mbira group which made it very lovely to play with Marian and Nathan who are long time mbira players and great friends to him. He said that the political situation is getting better in Zimbabwe.
I was so charmed by the evening, I felt once again like I could trudge along and love mbira even though it is a great mystery how that love came to me and wrapped me in its arms.
The Shona people feel so familiar. I feel part of the tribe, part of the people, part of the music. My Ashland mbira partner wrote while I was in the concert that we must get together this week. It has been so hard to do so since I am traveling and he is in Grants Pass.