Source [1,2]: zimbeatnews.blogspot.com/2011/09/mbira-zimbabwes-rich-musical-instrument.html
Source [3,13]: “Taireva, Matemai Newton Cheza Chozengwa Gwara, at Chigwedere Farm” by Zimbabwe Mbira on YouTube
Source [4]: “Kalimba Fiberglass Calabash 30cm - Resonator - Juma Instruments” by Juma Drums on YouTube
Source [5-7, 10-12]: “The soul of mbira : music and traditions of the Shona people of Zimbabwe” by Paul Berliner. Seen on @internetarchive.
Source [8]: Vinyl cover - “ZIMBABWE The African Mbira: Music of the Shona People. Played & sung by Dumisani Abraham Maraire”
Source [9]: Vinyl cover - “Africa - Shona Mbira Music. Recorded in Mondoro & Highfields, Rhodesia by Paul Berliner”
Source notes [5-7,10-12]:
“Many farmers cultivate crops of gourds and market them in townships where they are always in demand not only for resonating mbira but also for carrying water and for use as storage containers…To prepare gourds for use as resonators involves a number of steps. When the plants have grown to full size, the farmer cuts them from the vine and leaves them in the field until their color has turned from green to white. The calabashes are then processed to facilitate their drying and to strenghten their walls…the processor cuts a small section from the top and removes the seeds and pulp. Then he fills the gourd with water and leaves it inside a drum of boiling water for a few hours. Next, he peels off an outer layer of transparent skin. He then cuts the top further open, scrapes out more pulp, and sets the gourd to dry in the sun.
After it has dried thoroughly, its preparation is usually handled by the mbira player, who scrapes the inside wall as clean as possible and carves the opening of the gourd’s mouth to the appropriate dimensions. The quality of resonance of each gourd depends on its size and shape, the thickness of its shell, and the skill of the musician who prepares it. If the gourd is cut down too much or if the opening is left too small, the mbira will not sound well inside it. Once the gourd has been cut to the musician’s satisfaction, small holes are made along its outer edge and vibrators are strung in a row around the mouth of the resonator. These vibrators, traditionally made of snail, tortoise, or sea shells, are today frequently supplemented with or replaced by bottle tops...”
