Art of crafting and playing Mbira/Sansi, the finger-plucking traditional musical instrument in Malawi and Zimbabwe

Overview

The art of crafting and playing Mbira/Sansi, the finger-plucking traditional musical instrument in Malawi and Zimbabwe, plays a key role in the communities concerned. The basic Mbira/Sansi instrument consists of a wooden board with metal keys attached on top, and the instrument is sometimes mounted on a calabash/wooden resonator. The metal keys are made from spoon handles, bicycle spokes or spring wire, and the keys are plucked using the thumbs or a combination of thumbs and fingers. The Mbira/Sansi produces a fluid percussive sound considered to be mystic, tranquil and enchanting. An important feature of the music is its cyclical nature, where each new repetition of a theme varies slightly from the last and incorporates numerous interwoven melodies. The instrument can be played on its own or with multiple instruments in a group. Traditionally, transmission has occurred through...

This record is imported from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage public dataset as discovery metadata. ARED has not independently verified community authority, access protocols or local naming beyond the source record.

Community and Authority

Communities: Malawi, Zimbabwe
Languages: Not specified in UNESCO dataset
Cultural territories: Malawi, Zimbabwe
Countries: Malawi, Zimbabwe

How the System Works

Music, Performance and Oral Literature Language, Story and Memory Material Culture, Design and Technology Health, Healing and Care Law, Governance and Ethics Ceremony, Spirituality and Cosmology Ways of Knowing and Knowledge Transmission

Sources and Evidence

Imported from UNESCO DataHub dataset ich001. Field-level provenance is retained in the record metadata.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ListsDataset

Open original source record

Field-Level Provenance

title: UNESCO DataHub field title_en
preferredTitle: UNESCO DataHub field title_fr
summary: UNESCO DataHub field description_en
type: UNESCO DataHub fields type_of_element_en and type_acronym
countries: UNESCO DataHub field countries, ISO codes resolved with ISO-3166 regional metadata
categories: ARED category inference from UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names and title
relationships: UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names, type fields and World Heritage links
sourceUrl: UNESCO DataHub field http_url_en
rights: UNESCO DataHub dataset metadata license and license_url

Original Source Metadata

uuidbca4f47c-f573-4022-9be0-e75c3c37ab1d

ich_public_ref1541

inscription_year2020

title_enArt of crafting and playing Mbira/Sansi, the finger-plucking traditional musical instrument in Malawi and Zimbabwe

title_frL’art de fabriquer et de jouer la mbira/sanza, lamellophone traditionnel au Malawi et au Zimbabwe

type_of_element_enRepresentative List

type_acronymRL

countriesMW, ZW

http_url_enhttps://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/01541

concepts_primary_namesPercussion instruments

concepts_secondary_namesApprenticeship, Family, Fermented beverages, Funeral, Idiophones, Instrument making, Instrumental music, Moral education, Music education, Rituals, Traditional medicine, Veneration of the dead, Vocal music, Wedding

main_image_urlhttps://ich.unesco.org/img/photo/thumb/13668-LRG.jpg

main_image_caption_enAwareness-raising workshop in Zimbabwe that led to Mbira (Sansi) nomination

main_image_copyrightMinistry of Rural Development and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage, Zimbabwe, 2017

main_image_authorTarisai Gusho

videoshttps://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/jfYqq1RatuY

images[object Object], [object Object], [object Object]

Why This Record Is Credible

This public record is connected to 1 source and has been labelled Source Supported. ARED separates evidence sources from cultural authority so users can see both provenance and review limits.

Cultural Access

Use this as public discovery metadata only. It does not replace community authority or local access protocols.

Relationships

Percussion instruments Apprenticeship Family Fermented beverages Funeral Idiophones Instrument making Instrumental music Moral education UNESCO representative list

Review and Corrections

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