One outcome of the pandemic for Kutandara Studios has been connecting with students and teachers locally and around the globe to learn and perform more Zimbabwean music. We are creating virtual ensemble videos to bring us all together, making lemonade out of lemons!
Some of these projects are band- or group-specific, but some are open to anyone, regardless of previous musical experience with us. Information on our Current Virtual Video Ensemble Projects can be found here.
This is our fourth virtual video, and we really enjoyed collaborating with our friends from our around the world – from Alaska to Idaho to Indiana to Iceland. Special thanks to Taffie Matiure for playing lead guitar and organizing Zimbabwean bassist Matthew Mabengo and percussionist Tafara Gumbo, to Jacob Mafuleni for organizing the Tsoro Arts dancers, and to Arts Laureate for their audio and video editing!
Written by Kutandara Artistic Director Randy McIntosh in 1999, Shamwari is the theme song of Kutandara Studios. Meaning “friend, ” “friends,” or “friendship” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe, Shamwari embodies the joy of Zimbabwean marimba music in a way that nearly everyone can participate. Kutandara has for many years pursued a mission of friendship, community, and connection among people, and this is our signature song.
Performers include:
Addy Stanzel, Boulder, Colorado, US
Adrienne Davis, Husavik, Iceland
Aidan Reef, Bloomington, Indiana, US
Aleta Willson, Lyons, Colorado, US
Amy McIntosh, Boulder, Colorado, US
Andrew Moore, Lyons, Colorado, US
Baiba Lennard, Lyons, Colorado, US
Becky Bragg, Louisville, Colorado, US
Birkir Leví Kristinsson, Husavik, Iceland
Briannah Wilson, Chicago, Illinois, US
Caden Davis, Moscow, Idaho, US
Celia Frankenheimer, Longmont, Colorado, US
Charlie Plehaty, Lyons, Colorado, US
Chris Craigo, Boulder, Colorado, US
Claire O’Quinn, Boulder, Colorado, US
Dave Hofmockel, Boulder, Colorado, US
Elena Parthemer, Longmont, Colorado, US
Eliza McIntosh, Boulder, Colorado, US
Elyssa Torrence, Louisville, Colorado, US
Gus Morgan, Boulder, Colorado, US
Heather Doty, Boulder, Colorado, US
Hjördis Inga Gardarsdottir, Husavik, Iceland
Isabel Echenique, Boulder, Colorado, US
Jacki Holzman, Anchorage, Alaska, US
Jakob Frodi Karlsson, Husavik, Iceland
Jill Cannon, Lyons, Colorado, US
Jim Levine, Homer, Alaska, US
Jo Leightner, Boulder, Colorado, US
Jude Averitt, Boulder, Colorado, US
Kaitlyn & Ellison Bunker, Boulder, Colorado, US
Kathryn Lervick, Boulder, Colorado, US
Kendall Baldwin, Boulder, Colorado, US
Kim Doering, Lyons, Colorado, US
Kristin Swihart, Boulder, Colorado, US
Liam Findley, Boulder, Colorado, US
Lola Green, Boulder, Colorado, US
Malik Roth, Longmont, Colorado, US
Mandy Stepanovsky, Lyons, Colorado, US
Margrét Sif Jóhannsdóttir, Husavik, Iceland
Matthew Mabengo, Harare, Zimbabwe
Maya Elron, Boulder, Colorado, US
Meghan Reef, Bloomington, Indiana, US
Noah Randall, Longmont, Colorado, US
Perry Lawrence, Boulder, Colorado, US
Randy McIntosh, Boulder, Colorado, US
Roo Mannion, Nederland, Colorado, US
Sara Pike, Lyons, Colorado, US
Savannah Holmes, Lyons, Colorado, US
Seelie Reef, Bloomington, Indiana, US
Shannon Halgren, Boulder, Colorado, US
Shannon Hassan, Boulder, Colorado, US
Skylar Armstrong, Boulder, Colorado, US
Tafara Gumbo, Harare, Zimbabwe
Taffie Matiure, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tchukki Andersen, Kittery, Maine, US
Tsoro Arts Center, Dvizaresekwa, Zimbabwe
Finally! It’s here! And we couldn’t be happier!
We started recording last summer, but because of technical challenges and pandemic delays, we are only just now seeing the fruition of our dedication to this project.
We are more than happy to feature our friends and teachers Jacob Mafuleni and Martha Thom in this video, singing these beautiful lyrics:
Watamba neyeereswa,
Watamba nezvimwe
Watamba neyeereswa,
Dziva renjuzu
Haa vanababa,
Watamba nezvimwe
Haa woyewo,
Dziva renjuzu
Njuzu is a song about the Water Spirits in Shona cosmology , and this song celebrates them and their home: the pools and natural bodies of water in Zimbabwe. The background image in the video emulates the amazing Chinoyi Caves and Pools where Njuzu are said to live.
This is our third virtual video, and we really enjoyed collaborating with our friends and teachers Jacob Mafuleni and Martha Thom. Special thanks to Daniel Lockley for arranging this Stella Chiweshe song for marimba ensemble, and to Arts Laureate for their audio and video editing.
Please support Zimbabwean musicians! You can start here with Stella Chiweshe:
https://www.stellachiweshe.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stella.chiweshe
https://www.instagram.com/stella.chiweshe
And then here with Jacob Mafuleni and Martha Thom’s Tsoro Arts:
https://www.facebook.com/TsoroArts
https://youtu.be/a9RA_FNSoPY
https://youtu.be/EBwEgQ1KpMA
https://youtu.be/plpqVgwGc24
Special thanks to all the musicians featured:
Jacob Mafuleni & Martha Thom – Dzivaresekwa, Harare, Zimbabwe
Skylar Armstrong – Boulder, Colorado, US
Emma Eason – Juneau, Alaska, US
Jesse Larson – Santa Fe, New Mexico, US
Perry Lawrence – Boulder, Colorado, US
Daniel Lockley – Santa Fe, New Mexico, US
Amy Stewart McIntosh – Boulder, Colorado, US
Randy McIntosh – Boulder, Colorado, US
Claire O’Quinn – Erie, Colorado, US
Noah Randall – Longmont, Colorado, US
Elyssa Torrence – Louisville, Colorado, US
Ted Wright – Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Check out Stella Chiweshe’s original Njuzu source video that inspired and informed Daniel Lockley’s marimba arrangement: https://youtu.be/Fu1VLR-phjM
This is our second virtual video, and we really enjoyed collaborating with our friend and teacher John Mambira on the arrangement of his original song. Special thanks to Arts Laureate for their audio and video editing!
Special thanks to the amazing musicians featured:
John Mambira – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Skylar Armstrong – Boulder, Colorado
Liam Findley – Boulder, Colorado
Celia Frankenheimer – Longmont, Colorado
Perry Lawrence – Boulder, Colorado
Scott Mast – Boulder, Colorado
Amy Stewart McIntosh – Boulder, Colorado
Eliza McIntosh – Boulder, Colorado
Randy McIntosh – Boulder, Colorado
Elan Megibow – Lafayette, Colorado
Claire Kruger O’Quinn – Boulder, Colorado
Elena Parthemer – Longmont, Colorado
Noah Randall – Longmont, Colorado
This is our first virtual video, and even though it took 65,000x longer to put it together than it will take you to watch it (we did the math), we are still pretty proud of the result. Special thanks to Arts Laureate for their audio and video editing!
Special thanks to the fabulous musicians featured:
Tchukki Anderson – Newmarket, New Hampshire
Skylar Armstrong – Boulder, Colorado
Caden Davis – Moscow, Idaho
Emma Eason – Juneau, Alaska
Claire Kruger – Boulder, Colorado
Jesse Larson – Santa Fe, New Mexico
Perry Lawrence – Boulder, Colorado
Daniel Lockley – Denver, Colorado
Amy Stewart McIntosh – Boulder, Colorado
Randy McIntosh – Boulder, Colorado
Elena Parthemer – Longmont, Colorado
Noah Randall – Longmont, Colorado
Jon Stubbs – Lafayette, Colorado
Elyssa Torrence – Lousiville, Colorado
Ted Wright – Vancouver Island, British Columbia
