The Soul of Mbira Quotes

“If you find yourself in a terrible storm,' he said, 'with lightning and thunder crashing, and with people panicking around you, just play your mbira and you won't notice anything; you will just remain calm.”
― Paul Berliner, The Soul of Mbira: Music and Traditions of the Shona People of Zimbabwe

“Harare literally means 'He does not sleep,' which, according to the story teller, commemorates an old man's early settlement in that area when it was still inhabited by deadly snakes and lions. In the evenings the old man, fearful of the wild animals, was reluctant to sleep. In order to steady his nerves and to prevent himself from dropping his guard, he played the mbira all night long.”
― Paul Berliner, The Soul of Mbira: Music and Traditions of the Shona People of Zimbabwe