Dandemutande

Garikayi Tirikoti

Born into a traditional Shona family of the Mazumbakupa (Zebra) clan, Garikayi Tirikoti started playing the mbira Dzavadzimu at the age of four. By the age of seven he was already a well-regarded performer at biras (all-night ceremonies in which the mbiras are played to call upon ancestral spirits for healing, help, or guidance). This first recording by Garikayi is solo mbira and vocals, with only a single backing vocal on two of the pieces. Garikayi posesses a unique combination of technical virtuosity and musical creativity – although the selections are long, they are never boring. There is no overdubbing, although this is at times difficult to believe while listening to the music.