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Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys): "Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125)"

Old Dambatsoko
E (closest chromatic pitch)
25
Buzzers muted.
Muchatera Mujuru
Dambatsoko Cultural Centre, near Rusape, Zimbabwe
1945
1955
[Mbira Catalogue at ILAM:] The old type of mhira huru which was played at the Dambatsoko cult centre, near St. Bede's school, S of Rusape. Made by Chaminuka medium Muchatera Mujuru in about 1950, copied from an ancient mbira in his possession, which was said to have been played at Chitungwiza at the time of Pasipamire. [...]
3 lowest keys all a bit sharp. Even Muchatera himself did not really play the three now obsolete L index keys, I remember him just waving his finger over them. [...]

[TIC Instrument Inventory:] Old style. Dark wood, patina. H: 230, W: 195, multiple strand straining wire, 16 left hand keys, 9 right hand keys, three leftmost keys are non standard; L to R: 2’, 1’, 3. i.e. duplicates of the lowest three RH keys. Pitch order of bottom 2 notes is swapped from standard. Straight rattle bar with 7 rings, ‘ears’ on bridge, rectangular cross section bar. Keynote approx at E.

[...] Gift from well-known medium Muchatera Mujuru, who features in AT/Gei Zantzinger’s film (“Mbira dza vadzimu mbira: an old cult centre”).
V. low tuning, lowest three notes in a different order and not clear if they are tuned to overtone or fundamental, 3 extra keys for left index, sim. to Carl Mauch’s 1870 diagram in Kubik article in African Music.

[S.F.] Mauch's diagram shows three additional outer left keys, too, but with different pitches: 7 6 3 instead of Mujuru's 2" 1" 3.
ILAM
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Grahamstown, South Africa

Click on a picture to enlarge.

Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 1 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 2 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 3 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 4 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 5 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 6 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 7 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 8 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 9 of 10
Mbira dzavadzimu (with extra keys) E Old Dambatsoko by Muchatera Mujuru Muchatera Mujuru's Mbira (TIC 125), 10 of 10