Cosmas Magaya
Cosmas Magaya is a classic performer of the mbira dzavadzimu — heard on the first albums of Zimbabwean mbira music released in the 1970’s (”The Soul of Mbira” and “Shona Mbira Music”), and assistant to Paul Berliner in writing The Soul of Mbira. Today he performs and teaches internationally.
See Also:
- documentary film Making Music, Building Bridges by Elaine Vradenburgh
- music by Cosmas Magaya & Beauler Dyoko
- Cosmas Magaya on Musimboti
Anoyimba
2002
CD (419-C) $15.00 plus shipping not currently in stock
Here’s an interesting genre: the solo mbira ensemble album – one person playing and singing all of the parts of an ensemble repertoire through the technical finesse of multi-tracking. If you’re used to hearing a musician perform either solo or with others and wonder what they might do if they could replicate and cover the whole stage with copies of themselves, these multi-tracked albums are a way to find out. The idea of multi-tracking a deep acoustic music such as mbira bothered me when I first encountered it, but the technique has been pulled off with such finesse that I’ve since uncrinkled my brow.
Anoyimba is Cosmas Magaya’s contribution to this corner of the acoustic field, recorded in July 2001 and just now released by The Little Elf’s Workshop in Eugene, Oregon, USA. I found the sound quality of the CD a bit harsh, something that could perhaps be improved with better recording equipment, technique, or mastering; I would want a CD of Cosmas’ music to be as warm as I find him personally. However, I enjoyed Cosmas’ mbira playing and singing and found this album valuable as a record of what he chose to do with an ensemble of himselves. His playing is clear and easy to follow for those of us who value him as a teacher.
Tracks:
- 1. Karigamombe (Kariga Mombe) (4:10) Listen
- 2. Chipembere (5:28) Listen
- 3. Bangiza (Bangidza) (4:22) Listen
- 4. Mahororo (5:51) Listen
- 5. Nhemamusasa (3:36) Listen
- 6. Rwakaenda na Mambo (5:10) Listen
- 7. Mukatiende (Bukatiende) (7:48) Listen
- 8. Shumba ya Ngwasha (Shumba yaNgwasha) (4:16) Listen
- 9. Nyamaropa ye Katanga (5:19) Listen
- 10. Nhimutimu (7:20) Listen
- 11. Taireva (4:07) Listen
Instruments: (in alphabetical order)
hosho, mbira, voice.
Credits:
Mbira
1998
Tape out of print
Cosmas Magaya performing with Kutsinhira Communitiy Marimba Center members.
Tracks:
- 1. Nhemamusasa
- 2. Nyamaropa
- 3. Chipindura
- 4. Kariga Mombe
- 5. Kuzanga
- 6. Nhimutimu
- 7. Chipembere
- 8. Mutatiende
- 9. Mahororo
- 10. Bangiza I (Bangidza)
- 11. Dande
- 12. Taireva
- 13. Bangiza II (Bangidza)
Instruments: (in alphabetical order)
hosho, mbira, voice.
Credits: (in alphabetical order)
Bud Cohen, Jerome Hobbs, Jeff Kline, Marilyn Kolodziejczyk, Jennifer Kyker, Joel Lindstrom, Cosmas Magaya, Marilyn Mohr, James Webb.