Customer Reviews

Healing Tree: Best of Stella Chiweshe

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Mbira, also known as the Calimba, is a musical instrument native to the region around Zimbabwe. It consists of strings in a box like case that are plucked by the thimbs and forefinger. It has a zither-like quality, but is a little more ethereal and refined.

Traditional Zimbabwean religion consists of a form of ancestor worship not dissimilar from that of some regions of the orient. The mbira is used in spiritual rituals in which the attendees can become possessed by and receive messages from their ancestors. The mbira is said to draw the spirits of departed loved ones through the spirits of the attendees.

The mbira has historically and culturally been the strict domain of men. Stella Chiweshe, however, was the first great female mbira master to break this tradition. She is a world famous artist and has appeared in the U.S. on tour most recently this year. Her own deep spirituality comes through in her playing, and it is difficult not to get carried away when listening to this album.

This is a CD to listen to relaxed with your eyes closed...letting the songs take you where ever they will. Beautiful mbiri music. Stella Chiweshe is a Shamaness weaving spiritual truths in her songs.

There's whole lot of healing going on these days, it seems. Hmmm...let's see; two women put out Mbira CD's and both have healing in the title. What is with this healing blather? Why is it that women feel the need to intrude into and sully a fine traditional music that is rightly the province of men. Is this all just a sad attempt to tap the earthmuffin new-age market? Is it one of those I-am-womyn-goddess-healer sort of things?