BY WINSTONE ANTONIO SOME stakeholders in the creative sector yesterday described the listing of one of the country’s musical instruments, mbira (or thumb piano) on the prestigious United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco)’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a significant honour for Zimbabwe. Unesco yesterday inscribed the art of crafting and playing mbira on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the on-going 15th virtual session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage that roared to life on December 14 and runs through Saturday (Tomorrow). Mbira is made up of a handheld hardwood soundboard, called the gwariva and has a series of thin metal keys affixed to its surface. It is played by striking the metal keys. The instrument, which has been played for centuries, is one of Zimbabwe’s most enduring instruments that has remained a vital cultural emblem often played during traditional ceremonies and rituals of the Shona ethnic people. The recommendation of mbira to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity jointly done with Malawi where the instrument is called sansi follows the similar listing of the mbende Jerusarema dance in 2008. Mbende Jerusarema dance popularised mainly by the Murewa and Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe community was proclaimed a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity with Murewa Culture Centre acting as the reference place for safeguarding purposes. The dance is characterised by acrobatic and sensual body movements by women and men, driven by a poly-rhythmic drummer accompanied by men playing woodblock clappers and by women hand-clapping, yodelling and blowing whistles. On examination of nominations for inscription on the list, Unesco notes that the art of crafting and playing mbira/sansi, plays a key role in the communities concerned. National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) director Nicholas Moyo said the inscription has the effect of bringing a local element, which is the art of crafting and playing mbira, on the international platform as a recognised heritage product. “The proclamation provided renewed impetus for the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe to put more pressure and institute new dialogue with relevant stakeholders on the issue of introducing the craft of making and playing the mbira at schools,” he said. “This also is an important acknowledgement that mbira is indeed a Zimbabwean product. Founder of Mbira Centre Albert Chimedza and chairman of the Mbira Guild of Zimbabwe (MGZ) board said there was need to build capacity to effectively mainstream the mbira into educational, technical, scientific and creative spaces. “As the Mbira Guild of Zimbabwe, we see today, as a day to reflect on where we have come from and where we are going as custodians of mbira culture and heritage for about a thousand years. Let us consider this proclamation as a demand to us Zimbabweans, for a sense of responsibi