Mukhambira

Quest for Knowledge as Solutions to Global Problems! Creativity is the Way!

Live at Mon-Ami

With Marimba students

Technology in Musicological Research

After a long research on the challenges that hinder the vitality of indigenous instruments in my study region, I realised instrument building technologies were a very central problem. Hammering lamellophone keys by hand is one of these challenges. E.g. two of my direct disciples complained of a wrist problem, resulting from this activity. I therefore, decided to find a solution, to make this activity least strenuous and more ergonomical.

Below is a demonstration of a power hammer that should take the strain from lamellophone builders saving their wrist health, but, which can have other applications in such field of blacksmithing or metal forging activities, in general.

Technology in musical research --not just limited to the study of sounds!

Mukhambira in FOMUTRAMO (Forum de Musica Tradicioinal de Moçambique)

Mukhambira is currently, actively involved as a member of  FOMUTRAMO,  comprising various actors as, instrument builders/players, musicians with interest in traditional music,relevant institutions and personalities, and government official, in the process of candidating Mozambican lamollophones, namely, Mbira, Santse, Chityatya, Kalimba,  for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. In this team, Mukhambira is  mainly contributing with the design of strategies, and  the organological study of lamellophones, which comprise physical, musical, historical, nomenclature, and anthropological analyses of the instruments, as to enable the production of the relevant documentation to support the candidacy.

Mukhambira's contribution is supported with the long term formal and informal; artistic-experimental, and laboratoty research; ethnographic fieldwork; and bibliographic/literature studies.