My passion - the Mbira!

I'm in love with a musical instrument from Zimbabwe. It's called an "mbira" and it's a thumb piano of sorts, with 22 to 28 keys.
Aloka and I went to the Wednesday Street Market and my mbira teacher was performing. I took a little clip of him which shows him playing a close relative of the mbira, called a kalimba. The big round thing it's in acts as an amplifier. You can also see his mbira's on the ground as well as another big gourd amplifier (called a Deze, pronounced deh-zay).
The music has a very watery quality and goes in a circle where there isn't really a beginning or end. Because of that, it puts the listener into a very relaxed state.

Tomorrow we're going to the Hills Garlic Festival and then on a beautiful hike in the mountains above. I'm sure I'll have some fun pictures from that, and next weekend is a big harvest festival, stay tuned!