Ecos Do Legado: Chopi Timbila Music From Southern Mozambique - Vinyl

Description

The “Chopi Timbila” is one of the great African orchestral traditions. This tradition continues in Zavala, Mozambique, and constantly refers to the Chopi ancestors. Their mwenje wooden xylophones are tuned to seven equidistant notes, which gives them a radically different microtonal quality from the tempered scale (European classical music, the Beatles, etc.). From gigantic bass instruments to higher-pitched instruments, sometimes carried on the shoulder, the orchestra includes five types of xylophones. These form the foundation of a well-defined musical structure, rooted in rural life and a sense of community. The ensembles are made up of musicians of varying ages and skill levels (from beginners to masters), and new cycles of songs are composed and performed each year. In 2008, UNESCO inscribed it on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and Mozambicans across the country recognize it as one of the most complex and beautiful forms of traditional music in the region. The seemingly monolithic and chaotic sound of the Timbila Ta Venâncio at full throttle is initially unsettling, until the ripples wash over the listener, resonate within them, and become invigorating.