Southern and Central Malawi

Music from the Mang'anja, Yao, and Cewa peoples of southern and central Malawi are presented on this Sharp Wood release. Recorded by musicologist Hugh Tracey in the 1950s, these selections include reverberating Mang'anja ensembles teeming with tuned likhuba drums of all sizes, a choir of Yao policemen singing while dancing in a counterclockwise direction, and the buzzing sounds of Cewa marimbas. Of particular note is the first track, "Timba," which showcases the spiky falsetto vocal range and smoking bangwe board zither playing of Limited Mgundo Phiri. Also of note is the orchestra of malipengo gourd kazoos and bass drums that sound off in "Mayanda," a dance influenced by a British military drill. Near the end of the disc is "Ine Ndidandaula." Translated as "my man only paid ten pence to marry me," it is sung by two women crushing corn on a mortar. As the two alternate strokes with their pestles, they sing back and forth -- echoing each other's yodels. It's a great way to make the workday fly by faster. In short, Southern and Central Malawi highlights an amazing array of musical diversity among three Malawian cultural groups. ~ John Vallier