A VISION AND AN MBIRA
A VISION AND AN MBIRA
A VISION AND AN MBIRA
For our first annual World Music Fest on April 26, 2026, we had the honor of collaborating with and hosting The Mbira Renaissance Band from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The performance was entertaining, moving and educational – nothing short of spectacular. Nearly a hundred audience members spent the evening dancing, chanting, soaking up a new soundscape, and connecting with each other in ways that only music makes possible.
STORIES OF ZIMBABWE
A VISION AND AN MBIRA
A VISION AND AN MBIRA
Frontman Chaka Zinyemba welcomed the audience into the music by sharing stories of his childhood in Zimbabwe, the history and the importance of the mbira instrument to his people, the Shona people. Chiedza Zinyemba (hosho, conga, vocals) fascinated the crowd with her harmonies and her explanation of the hosho and its ancestral role in Zimbabwean music.
MUSIC ON A MISSION
A VISION AND AN MBIRA
On guitar, Geo Koufogiannakis shared his infectious energy through soulful, driving solos. James Stuart was unwavering in his bass guitar, expertly blending a Western rock instrument with the Mbira and hosho sounds. And at the center of it all, Tony Flanagan on drums gave a masterclass in the art of simultaneous creativity and stability.
THE COLLECTIVE
Toni Cortez-Aguilar (contrabass flute), Everardo Aguilar (trumpet) and Valerie McElroy (flute), the event's local collective, joined the band on a few numbers to add unique tone colors and dynamic solos. Cross-cultural collaboration between artists, art and audience is at the core of Connessa Collective's mission – and perhaps the most striking demonstration of that collaboration was the world premiere of a new composition written solely for this event.
SHIRI YAKANAKA
“Shiri Yakanaka ('a beautiful bird') ... brings the mbira and flutes together in a unique, one of a kind way — adding wonderful contrast, texture and breath to the band's sound. In this song, the singer courts a bird returning to the community during the spring, asking it to stay in return for a song (you hear this courtship through the interplay between the vocals and the flutes). It’s a song about the human desire for companion- ship and interconnectedness beyond the artificial boundaries we have placed between one another.”
– Chaka Zinyemba, on Substack
CULTURE + COMMUNITY = JOY
Chiedza, Chaka, Tony, Geo and James embody cultural and musical collaboration. Their backgrounds and ancestral lines are varied and broad, but what they create together is a celebration of music and community. Being present with Mbira Renaissance was a joy and a privilege every moment. From the group's professionalism to their camaraderie, musicality and genuine humanity, we left the weekend with souls full of hope that music truly can build bridges and connect us all.