TIMBILA GALLERY
Traditional Timbila from Zavala, Mozambique - Still GROOVING in 2023
Results of Association Positivo Moçambique's quest in Zavala District
Trailer Documentary "Timbila"
The documentary was shown at Zambia International Film Festival & FilmAid Kenya Film Festival 2022
Synopsis:
Nowadays there are young individual Timbila players who integrate the Timbila into popular music styles, creating a fusion between traditional and contemporary instruments. On one hand, this arouses curiosity about the origin and history of the instrument, on the other hand, it raises the question of where the original practice of timbila went and whether traditional timbila groups still exist today.
Deep in the district of Zavala there are still masters with their orchestras who pass the art of making, playing and dancing Timbila from generation to generation, who practice this art according to rules that must be strictly followed, to continue with their tradition. Todays orchestras are challanged by a lack of resources, they hardly earn any money, which makes young people move to cities in search of work, but still, some people have the strong will and the necessary courage to continue in the orchestras of Timbila and preserve this culture for the future.
CONCERTS & PERFORMANCES
Visiting Traditional Timbila Groups and inviting them to your event
Zavala and neighbouring Inharrime districts have plenty of accomodation solutions, for all budgets.
Beaches and lagoons in both districts are wonderful sights, and constitute an unique tourism experience.
Lodging is possible at the lake of Quissico, in the village of Quissico, in the village of Inharrime and in the centers of the Timbileiros themselves.
Leaders from each of the groups mentioned here can help organize your stay in the area to learn how to build and play timbilas, to assist the groups in rehearsals and performances and to get to know better the beer culture.
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For those who want to watch a performance by one of the bands at a different point in their centre, for example at their private party, weddings, among others, you can contact the masters themselves or the Positivo Moçambique association.
BOOK A SHOW
Contact Band Leaders from 6 main traditional timbila orchestras in Zavala, and book an unique performance:
Timbila Ta Venâncio - +258 875071956
Timbila Ta Muane - +258 848090756
Timbila Ta Canda - +258 842188634
Timbila Ta Nhacutoho- +258 845929963
Timbila Ta Xitsoho - +258 844410908
Timbila Ta Mazivela - +258 873345790
Additionaly, you can contact the association Positivo Mozambique and Inhambane's Turism Association
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BUY A TIMBILA
Unique handmade instruments
The sizes of timbilas vary from 12, 14, 16, 18, to 19 keys.
Prices depend on their size and vary between the manufacturer.
Order your instrument directly with your timbila master
Horácio 875071956
Domingos 846330522
Estevão 873345790
PARTNERSHIP WITH ILAM
International Library of African Music, Grahamstown, South Africa
Founded in 1954 by Hugh Tracey, ILAM is one of the world’s great repositories of African music. A research institution devoted to the study of music and oral arts in Africa, it preserves thousands of historical recordings going back to 1929 and supports contemporary fieldwork. The majority of its collections are digitised and accessible on its website www.ru.ac.za/ilam. Its journal, African Music, is into its seventh decade.
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ILAM aims to preserve, record, analyse, archive, teach, publish and promote the music of sub-Saharan Africa, with the object of establishing a theory of music making in Africa and assessing the social, cultural, and artistic values of African music. ILAM collaborates with the Music Department at Rhodes University and coordinates its Ethnomusicology Programme which offers undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in Ethnomusicology. The courses include training in the performance of African music.
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ILAM is a partner of Timbila Gallery 2022. By providing quality arquive images of timbila orchestras' history, ILAM contributed to making the documentary "Timbila" a legitimate and coherent, full of hindsight, modern timbila movie.
Support the Association
Positivo Mozambique is an organisation that creates awareness and educates communities through art and culture. In the last 15 years Positivo Mozambique has contributed significantly in increasing the amount of people in the local community to undertake HIV testing, reducing discrimination and increasing knowledge about HIV. The primary way we implement this is through music, however our other methods also include theater, painting, radio shows and cinema.
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Positivo Mozambique is mainly composed of artists, activists and teachers, and is 100% non-profit.
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Help Rebuild the Studio
Studio Bom Dia, a unique music studio situated in Inhambane province, Mozambique, has recorded more than 30 albums, with over 100 Mozambican singers and instrumentalists, as well as with musicians from over 20 different countries worldwide. It is the only music studio in the province, and only one of 3 in the country equipped for professional live band recordings.
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On the afternoon of June 14th, 2022, an electrical fire consumed the studio and has destroyed hundreds of instruments, musical and recording equipment, literature and heartbreakingly 20 years of recordings.
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Studio Bom Dia is fiercely loved by all and has the full support of anyone who is touched by music in Inhambane. Together with producer Roland Pickl and his family the surrounding community will
rebuild the studio to be even better than before, so that projects can be completed, albums can be finished, and musicians can continue to record and play once again.
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Quality Sound & Movies
Mozambique is a country very rich in culture and talented people but with a great lack of infrastructure and technical knowledge in the cultural area. As a result, especially outside of the capital Maputo, the cultural movement is very weak. Mango Sound's focus is to contribute to a development in the cultural sector.
We offer professional film and video production and operate a professional recording studio in Beira and in Inhambane. Mango Sound is responsible for the making of the movie "Timbila".
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We consider that a development in cultural movement will contribute positively to a general development of the region. We create projects which aim to make people reflect on topics like violence, health and environment problems, human rights, among others.
Mango Sound Mozambique is about bringing movement into a region of Africa, with many talents and little opportunities. It’s about challenging the rules of the market, and putting the focus on one of the many regions which it doesn't consider worth of attention.
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CONTACT US
Positivo Moçambique
+258 855208063
+258 847143620
