An instrument-building workshop and collective music-making event.

Restorative justice advocates often look to the traditional African concept of ubuntu (which has varied translations related to human connectivity) to ground their movement toward progressive incarceration alternatives. Similarly, the mbira (pronounced em-BEE-ra), a family of musical instruments native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe, hold history and knowledge that can inspire us. Traditionally played to call the ancestors, the mbira became instruments of resistance to colonial rule and a source of sonic resilience during Zimbabwe’s liberation movements. How might the mbira—building them, playing them, making music with them together—help us find our own sounds of liberation?

This workshop was held at The Cannery in South Penobscot on Saturday, October 2^nd from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and was followed by a public sharing event from 5:00 – 6:00 pm.