Zimbabwean Music

Steve Scher
08/27/2008 at 10:00 a.m.

First, a conversation on the week's news in Canada with Les Leyne, political columnist for the Victoria Times Colonist. Then, last Wednesday, we talked about Zimbabwe — specifically, the worsening economy and their controversial president, Robert Mugabe. Today, we look at Zimbabwe in an entirely different way: Through music, and the musicians who make it. Often rooted in improvisation, Zimbabwean music reflects social and political changes, the AIDS epidemic, history, culture and tradition. We'll learn about the music, the history behind it, and traditions we find here in the Northwest.

Also today, Eli Sanders of The Stranger is at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Hillary Clinton will be on the roll call today to accept her delegates, and then hand them over to Barack Obama. We'll ask Eli how that might play out.

Guest(s)

Les Leyne writes the political column for the Victoria Times Colonist.

Myrna Capp is an assistant professor of music at Seattle Pacific University where she teaches piano and piano pedagogy. She writes reviews for the American Music Teacher journal and performs research in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and South Africa. Her book is "Keeping the Embers Alive: Musicians of Zimbabwe."

Sheree Seretse is a musician and the founder/director of Anzanga Marimba and Dance Ensemble. She has worked for many years to keep this musical tradition alive in the Northwest.

Eli Sanders is a senior staff writer for The Stranger newspaper. He joins us from Denver.