Corvallis will get a taste of Zimbabwe for a full weekend from August 11 to 14. Zimfest, now in its second year, is a hybrid of a music festival and a convention dedicated to Zimbabwean music, dance, and culture. It’s a place where workshops are weaved witht he music and handmade wares one might expect at a festival.
My interest in Zimbabwean music was piqued by Mbira dzeMuninga’s performance at Salem’s World Beat Festival, a flurry of poly-rhythmic percussion and melodies that ranged from intensely joyful to intensely haunting. This is powerful music, and Zimfest’s organizers’ dedication to it is evident in their hours of volunteered time. I learned from Nancy Steel, a marimba instructor and one of the event’s organizers, that Mbira dzeMuninga (who will perform at Zimfest) plays a kind of music called mbira, a very old and traditional style of Zimbabwean folk music characterized by use of the mbira instrument (sometimes known as the thumb piano in the United States) and interweaving melodic patterns. Zimfest also features marimba music in a 20th-century style that has earned predominance at the festival in workshops and performances due to its popularity.
Zimfest has placed a strong emphasis on education, attracting Zimbabwean music and culture experts from around the world to serve as teachers to festivalgoers. Workshops are available on everything from basic drumming to Shona language to playing Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” on the marimba. There is a close relationship between the music and the verbal culture, as many of the songs’ lyrics incorporate traditional stories and folklore. An especially notable feature of workshops for music educators in public schools is their qualification to earn attendees State of Oregon Professional Development Units, a sign of Zimfest’s commitment to having a long-lasting positive impact on the Northwest music community.
In addition to celebration of Zimbabwe’s cultural production, outreach is a focus of Zimfest. Though the Zimfest “Village Meeting” is most pertinent to those behind the scenes of the festival, it includes “opportunities for cultural exchange, including a panel of Zimbabwean guests” and is open to all festival participants. The Zimfest Association is also proud to feature at their marketplace MBIRA and Portland-based Zimbabwe Artists Project, nonprofits dedicated to making Zimbabwean musicians and (mostly) women artists, respectively, more financially self-reliant. MBIRA makes and sells mbiras, and there’s a good chance you’ll want one to call your own after seeing some mbira music played live.
The artists at Zimfest are many and varied, but all play some variety of Zimbabwean or Zimbabwean-influenced music, many marimba, a music so irresistibly effervescent that I struggle to think of a better way to take full advantage of an Oregon summer night than dancing to it for hours. And that’s what $40 will get you — 15 scheduled hours of music over Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Concert tickets can be purchased for individual nights as well, and daytime concerts are free. Go to http://2011.zimfest.org for a full list schedule and list of ticket prices.
