Salani Matshoba
Mbira music of the Shona people of Zimbabwe
Salani Matshoba is a mbira maker, performer, and cultural ambassador from Harare, Zimbabwe, whose lifelong devotion to mbira music began at age eight. He learned his first song from his uncle and deepened his musical knowledge by listening to elders, developing an exceptional ear that allowed him to identify and reproduce melodies from radio broadcasts by his teenage years. He was mentored in high school by master musician Musekiwa Chigodza, a collaboration that has led to international performances, including recent concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Salani’s Website
Salani’s Instagram
Apprenticeship Program
2025
Michell Marufu will deepen her practice in Shona mbira through focused study of the 24-key nhare, also known as mbira dzavadzimu, under the mentorship of Salani Matshoba. This apprenticeship emphasizes developing technical mastery of polyrhythmic playing, hand coordination, steady pulse, and the integration of singing with instrumental performance. The apprentice will study core nhare song families-nhemamusasa, mahororo, chamutengure, and chipembere- while learning their ceremonial, spiritual, and philosophical significance through oral tradition, supporting the continued transmission of this sacred musical lineage within the diaspora.
