{"product_id":"ephat-mujuru-the-spirit-of-the-people_mbavaira_2021_mdl","title":"Mbavaira","description":"Ephat Mujuru exemplifies a unique generation of traditional musicians in Zimbabwe. Born under an oppressive colonial regime in Southern Rhodesia, his generation witnessed the brutality of the liberation struggle of the 1970s and then the dawn of independent Zimbabwe, a time when African musical culture, long stigmatized by Rhodesian educators and religious authorities, experienced an exciting renaissance. Under the tutelage of his grandfather, who was a spirit medium and respected mbira master, Ephat showed an early talent for the rigors of mbira training, playing his first possession ceremony when he was only ten years old. By this time, guerrilla warfare was raging in the country and his grandfather Muchatera tragically fell victim to the violence, a devastating blow to the young musician. Amidst the liberation struggle, mbira music became political. Ultimately, the Rhodesians were defeated, but rather than returning to the past, the nation of Zimbabwe was born and a new future unfolded. Ephat embraced the spirit of independence, singing of brotherhood, healing, and unity: crucial themes at a time when the nation's two dominant ethnic groups, the Shona and the Ndebele, were struggling to reconcile their differences. Ephat's band would eventually follow popular trends and add electric instruments, but before that, he and Spirit of the People released two entirely acoustic albums, and they might just be the most exciting and beautiful recordings he made in his career. 'Mbavaira', the second of these albums, was released in 1983. As the years of independence passed, there were fewer and fewer mbira album releases, but by this point, Ephat Mujuru had the necessary stature and reputation. Furthermore, with the energy and dynamism of these recordings, and the unequivocal singing of his uncle Mude – truly one of the greatest mbira singers of the 20th century – the album could easily compete with the pop music of its time. A few years after the release of 'Mbavaira', this album and others like it became harder to find in Zimbabwean record stores. Ephat adapted to the times and formed an electric band. They recorded more albums over the years, but none of them have the particularly delightful energy of Spirit of the People in the early years of Zimbabwe's independence.","brand":"Ephat Mujuru \u0026 The Spirit Of The People","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55311932621144,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0898\/4943\/0360\/files\/0843563126813.jpg?v=1760406474","url":"https:\/\/vinyles.com\/en\/products\/ephat-mujuru-the-spirit-of-the-people_mbavaira_2021_mdl","provider":"Vinyles.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}