REST IN PEACE THE QUEEN OF #MATEPE
Sinati with Grandson Chris
This morning (9 July 2021) we lost one of ours –
Sinati Nyamande has passed on.
She was around 94- 97years old. She is the best Mbira Vocalist that I have ever listened to. The one who yodelled like a flute and Clapped rhythms that were from celestial spaces. Her knowledge of Matepe music was exceptional.
She has kept the Matepe music alive and imparting it to young generations and also to her Children and Grand Children who are ” The Zonke @Family”.
Zonke Family in Action
When ethnomusicologists were recording Mbira players they would mention the names of the Mbira players and they would seldom mention the names of the people singing but on the recordings that Sinati sang they could not resist mentioning her name.
Her recording with the brilliant Karimba Player Johani Chiyeha Bandera and Matepe Master Thomas Dzamwarira is my favourite. How she sang to the songs Siti, Kunyangara kwawo Marembe, Kuyadya Hove and Karimuchipfuwa.
I think she had many things to teach the Mbira Vocalists of our time, sadly, she didn’t get the opportunity.
I also admire that she was always true to Eastern Zimbabwe traditional music regardless of the stigma from locals who term it demonic and also during the colonial era where these instruments were destroyed and the one who practiced it faced worsened stigma and in some case assault or even death
Rest in Peace Mbuya Sinati Kadende 😖😫😢ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Sjnati at her home in Nyamapanda
©📸 Yuji Matsuhira
Ngoma Music and Dance 