LONDON: Event and Workshops
@ Zimbabwean Embassy
Promoting Mbira culture as a living legacy. Documentary films and roadshow. Family friendly music workshops and performance events.
13th June Performance
Linos Wengara Magaya performs with an acoustic trio, presenting the spiritual music of the Zimbabwean Shona tradition. At the heart of this music is the Mbira Dzavadzimu — sometimes known as a “thumb piano” — an instrument used for centuries as a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds.
Accompanied by a second mbira and percussion, interlocking melodies and rhythms weave and pulse beneath songs drawn from a deep ancestral lineage. Some people listen quietly, some dance, and all are welcome to add their voice to the shared experience. This is music traditionally played in ceremony, to connect communities and invite reflection, presence and joy.
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Interwoven through the evening will be short documentary film excerpts and spoken reflections, as Linos explores the cultural meaning of the music and the stories it carries. Together, the live performance and film create an immersive journey — not just a concert, but an opening into the living context behind the sound.
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Linos has been a master musician and ambassador for Zimbabwean spiritual culture for decades. With his band Zimbaremabwe, he has presented intimate acoustic sets, full-band headline shows, and mbira teaching workshops.
Workshops
A series of 5 workshops introducing Mbira Dzavadzimu, a traditional Zimbabwean instrument rooted in the spiritual and musical culture of the Shona people. Led by Zimbabwean Mbira master Linos Wengara Magaya.
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Often called a “thumb piano”, the mbira is a far more complex and expressive instrument than this name suggests, built around interlocking parts, cyclical patterns, and layered rhythms. Group singing and call-and-response are central, creating an inclusive, social way of learning.
The beautiful melodies, interlocking Rhythms and Linos’s prowess as a master and teacher make it a really amazing experience and you will really feel the connection with this powerful ancient Zimbabwean tradition.
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Fri 8th May || Fri 15th May
Fri 22nd May ||
Fri 5th june || Fri 12th June
6.30-8.30pm
Through weekly sessions, you’ll learn a small repertoire of traditional pieces while developing both personal technique and a shared group sound. Alongside playing, we’ll explore the cultural context of the music and how it works as a communal, living tradition.
No prior experience needed — just curiosity and a willingness to play together.
