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& CRAFTS GALLERY | | | |
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| | | Mbila’s
The most elaborate musical instrument found in South Africa is the resonated xylophone,
commonly called marimba. |
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| Two varieties
are met with, the first among the Venda and the second among the Tshopi. |
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Both are called the same name, mbila, and both are constructed on the same principle;
but the two types are made from different materials, and the two races each have
their own manner of performance. | | | |
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mbila of the Venda is a large instrument, and is to be found at most of the principal
homes, where it is regularly played for the entertainment of the chief and his
friends. | | But
its use is tending to die out, and skilled players are becoming scarce.
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"TALL
MAN MBILA"
by Albert Munyai |
| Within the marriage
of this musical and sculptural work, we find Albert Munyai’s first mbila (xylophone). |
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walking man wears traditional beads around his neck, stating his Venda origins. |
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hand is placed on his stomach to send the energy that dwells there, through to
his head. | | It
is with the placement of the drum (on top of the figures head) that this energy
is transformed into rhythm. |
| The keys of the mbila
are placed along the vertebrae of the spinal column — the man carries and produces
music from within his backbone. | |
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"FISH
MBILA "
by
Albert Munyai |
| Man
cannot live without water. |
| All across Africa,
water is a most precious resource. |
It is of vast
spiritual significance:
water moves and flows, it is the giver and sustainer
of life. | | In
Venda, the custodian of water is the fish. |
| A depiction of
fish pays homage to that which protects water, ensuring the prosperity and well
being of the community. | |
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| Occasionally,
players will play at homes other than their own, thus acting as minstrels. |
| Many
of the tunes played are traditional. |
| Most of them are, as
one might say, lyrical in their nature. |
| In the olden times,
the mbila was played before a war, and served as an accompaniment for fierce songs,
which were formerly sung to hearten the warriors for battle. |
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| The
mbila in the shape of a cow gives thanks to South Africa.. |
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celebrates the tribal laws and culture which centers around cattle |
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cow is a celebrated and spiritually revered animal. |
| It is considered sacred
since it sacrifices itself entirely: giving meat for food, hides for clothing,
horns for vessels and intestines for various uses. |
| The cow gives
what the bull cannot — nourishment through milk and a womb to gestate new cattle. |
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The musical keys carry the importance of symbolizing well balanced emotions (half
the register is smiling, the other half is crying). |
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Mukondeni
arts and crafts has been instrumental in the establishment of the following:
The Mashamba Art Gallery
Self Help projects
An Artist and a Cultural village. |
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