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Andrew Tracey's Contribution to Knowledge of Lamellophone (Mbira)

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UNDERSTANDING FORM AND TECHNIQUE: ANDREW TRACEY’S CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE OF LAMELLOPHONE (MBIRA) MUSIC OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN ETHNOMUSICOLOGY RHODES UNIVERSITY. by LAINA GUMBORESHUMBA January 2009 Supervisor: Prof. Diane Thram ABSTRACT This thesis interrogates Andrew Tracey’s career as an ethnomusicologist and the significance of his research and publications on lamellophone (mbira) music of the Shona/Sena in Zimbabwe and Mozambique to subsequent scholarship of lamellophones throughout southern Africa. Through a survey of authors who have cited Tracey’s publications, this study assess how his use of the pulse notation transcription method and his theory of form and harmonic structure in mbira music, which he terms ‘the system of the mbira’ (A. Tracey, 1989) have influenced and contributed to the work of ethnomusicologists, musicologists and composers. Further this research evaluates the impact on subsequent publications by other scholars of Tracey's technical analysis of mbira music. Organizing and indexing Andrew Tracey's field collection in the ILAM archive gave direct knowledge of the scope of his work. The thesis consists of six chapters. The first chapter contains a general introduction to the thesis and outlines the goals of the research. Chapter Two presents a biographical sketch of Andrew Tracey. A general introduction to the lamellophone (mbira) family of musical instruments in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa is presented in Chapter Three, which also addresses the social function of lamellophone music. Chapter Four gives a summary of Andrew Tracey’s research on the Shona mbira (his publications, recordings, films etc), and it analyzes his theory - “The system of the mbira” - in which he defines the form and structure of mbira music. Chapter Five examines the impact of Andrew Tracey’s research and publications on mbira music to subsequent scholarship and makes an analysis and evaluation of the significance of his contribution to the body of knowledge of the instrument and its music. ii In addition I relate my personal experiences with mbira music as a Shona person and mbira player and give my opinions on Tracey’s and subsequent scholars’ theories on mbira music. Chapter Six concludes with a summary of outcomes of this research. Basing on the analyses of presented data, it is deduced that, despite a few shortcomings, Andrew Tracey’s research on mbira music is crucial for it laid the groundwork for subsequent mbira scholarship. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………… ii TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………….. iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS……………………………………………………………………..... vii DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………………… x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………………… xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Research Goals……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Research Methods, Procedures and Techniques………………………………………………………………………… 2 Literature Review…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3 Thesis Format………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 CHAPTER TWO: ANDREW TRACEY- A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY Family Background and Education………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Research in African Music: Learning to play karimba……………………………………………………… 9 Mbira dzavadzimu…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 Matepe…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12 Njari…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 iv Wait a Minim……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 The Andrew Tracey Steel Band……………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 International Library of African Music-Director…………………………………………………………………… 16 African Musical Instruments (AMI)………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 CHAPTER THREE: LAMELLOPHONES IN AFRICA Terminology……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20 Playing Technique……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23 Historical Traces, Early Documentation………………………………………………………………………………… 23 Lamellophones of Zimbabwe: Distribution, Historical Background and Social Function… 24 Kalimba and Karimba or Nyunganyunga……………………………………………………………………………… 26 Matepe/Madhebhe (madebe), Hera………………………………………………………………………………………… 29 Njari …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 31 Mbira dzavadzimu or mbira huru or nhare……………………………………………………………………………… 32 The spread of mbira internationally………………………………………………………………………………………… 34 CHAPTER FOUR: ANDREW TRACEY’S RESEARCH ON MBIRA MUSIC – A SURVEY OF HIS PUBLICATIONS Films……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 36 Publications Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 39 Published Mbira Articles …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 39 v A Prototype African Mbira?........................................................................................................ 41 How to Play the Mbira dzavadzimu…………………………………………………………………………………………. 43 Values in African Music……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 44 The System of the Mbira …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 46 CHAPTER FIVE: ANDREW TRACEY’S CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE OF LAMELLOPHONE MUSIC Data Drawn from Interviews with and Publications by the Selected Scholars…… 54 Kevin Volans: Mbira and White Man Sleeps…………………………………………………………………………… 54 Gerhard Kubik: Nsenga/Shona Harmonic Patterns and the San Heritage in Southern Africa …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 56 Klaus-Peter Brenner: Chipendani und Mbira…………………………………………………………………………… 64 Gerd Grupe: The Art of Mbira Playing; Harmonic Progressions and their Cognitive Dimension…………………………………………………………………………………… 68 Paul Berliner: The Soul of Mbira: Music and Traditions of the Shona People of Zimbabwe…………………………………………………………………………………… 71 Claire Jones: Making Music: Musical Instruments of Zimbabwe Past and Present…………… 74 Martin Scherzinger: The Shona Mbira Song Nyamaropa: A Mathematical Perspective…. 78 Andrew Tracey’s Contribution to Ethnomusicology in South Africa…………………………………… 90 Author’s view on Tracey’s “Values in African Music”…………………………………… 92 Author’s Personal Experiences with Mbira Music………………………………………………………………… 93 vi CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSIONS Significance of Tracey’s Research…………………………………………………………………………………………… 98 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 106 Addendum .......................................................................................................................................... 114 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1A: Andrew Tracey in 1973………………………………………………………. 6 Figure 1B: L to R: Hugh Tracey, Curt Wittig, Heather Tracey, Andrew Tracey, a Nyungwe musician and Pinto playing hera/matepe mbira on a recording tour near Chioko in Mozambique in 1970………………………………………………………………………. 12 Figure 1C: Andrew Tracey in front of various mbira types displayed at ILAM…………... 19 Figure 2A: Table which shows common names for lamellophones in a variety of African languages…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22 Figure 2B: Map showing distribution of Shona ethnic groups/dialects and the geographical location of mbira types in relation to the ethnic-groups of the Shona who play them……………… 27 Figure 3A: Jege Tapera’s karimba…………………………………………………….. 28 Figure 3B: The Kwanongoma Karimba…………………………………………………… 29 Figure 4: Madhebhe dzaMhondoro…………………………………………………… 30 Figure 5: Njari…………………………………………………………………………. 31 Figure 6: Mbira dzavadzimu……………………………………………………………... 33 Figure 7: “Kana Mano” on matepe. An example of Tracey's transcription without the use of the western clefs………………………………………………………………….. 40 vii Figure 8: The basic kalimba core………………………………………………………. 41 Figure 9: The Position of the kalimba core on mbira dzavadzimu……………………… 42 Figure 10: Nyonganyonga (Mozambique)…………………………………………………. 42 Figure 11: Diagram which shows the proposed relationships of the kalimba and its descendants………………………………………………………………………………… 43 Figure 12: The chord progression (longer chord sequence) of “Chakwi” (mbira dzavadzimu), and “Sambatero” (nyonganyonga)…………………………………………………… 50 Figure 13: Another example of the longer chord sequence on “Marume ashora mambo” (matepe), and “Mudande”, (mbira dzavadzimu)………………………………………… 51 Figure 14: The Shona chord sequence, showing three common points for perceiving the start of the cycle…………………………………………………………………………. 52 Figure 15: Musical bow tuning at an interval of ca. 400 cents……………………………. 58 Figure 16: Musical bow tuning at an interval of ca. 300 cents……………………………... 58 Figure 17: Musical bow tuning at an interval of ca. 200 cents…………………………………….. 59 Figure 18: A.M Jones’s Nsenga “harmonic cliché” and its roots in musical bow harmonics.. 59 Figure 19: Comparison of Shona “harmonic particle” with !Kung bow harmonics................59 Figure 20: Shows the Shona chord sequence……………………………………………… 60 Figure 21: The basic kalimba core……………………………………………………… 61 Figure 22: The hidden roots of the kankobele or “basic kalimba” core………………….. 62 Figure 23: The Shona chords and their roots………………………………………… 63 Figure 24: The standard Shona chord sequence and its logic……………………………… 64 Figure 25: A dyad sequence of Nyamaropa………………………………………………… 82 Figure 26: One example of the kind of hearing that emerges when the chord progression is grouped differently……………………………………………………………………… 84 viii Figure 27: An example of an arrangement or grouping of repetitions etc and the kind of harmonic mirroring it produces……………………………………………………………. 85 Figure 28: Harmonic progressions grouped in four-dyad units……………………………
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