The Head of Pedagogy at Music Crossroads Academy Zimbabwe (MCAZ), Emmanuel Mujuru is carrying out intriguing research on Christians’ response to the use of the mbira in worship. Mujuru is carrying out this research as part of his dissertation for his Honors Course in Music, at Zimbabwe University.
Mbira is an instrument popularly used in African traditional worship. The instrument has evolved into mainstream use by many musicians local and internationally, outside of traditional realms. It is an intimate instrument, producing soft and intricate melodies, hence its powerful potential to incite the spiritual powers found in all religions. Some traditional churches have embraced the mbira, while ironically some Christians, who converted from African Traditional religion, have shun it, as they remember it as the instrument that was used to evoke the mediums.
In Mujuru’s research, the group being studied is the modern day Pentecostal church which popularly uses western instruments in praise and worship. This is what makes the research interesting.
Mujuru has introduced the mbira to the churches he is working with and the instrumentalists have embraced the instrument.
The instrumentalist have practiced with the Mbira and performed in church on Sunday the 22nd of May 2016. Mujuru could not wait to see the various reactions of the congregants, when introducing this new instrument to their praise and worship repertoire.
The Music Crossroads Academy will share the findings of this interesting research in a couple of months to come.
