Mbira's Restless Dance: An Archive of Improvisation

<span>Growing out of the collaborative research of an American ethnomusicologist and Zimbabwean musician, Paul F. Berliner and Cosmas Magaya’s </span><span>Mbira’s Restless Dance</span><span> documents the repertory for a keyboard instrument known generally as </span><span>mbira</span><span>. At the heart of this work lies the analysis of the improvisatory processes that propel mbira music’s magnificent creativity.<br><br></span><span>Mbira’s Restless Dance </span><span>is written to be played. This two-volume, spiral-bound set features musical transcriptions of thirty-nine compositions and variations, annotated with the master player’s advice on technique and performance, his notes and observations, and commentary by Berliner. Enhanced with extensive website audiovisuals, </span><span>Mbira’s Restless Dance </span><span>is in effect a series of masterclasses with Magaya, suitable for experienced mbira players and those learning the fundamentals.<br><br> Together with Berliner's </span><span>The Art of Mbira</span><span>, in which he provides an indispensable historical and cultural guide to mbira in a changing world, </span><span>Mbira's Restless Dance </span><span>breaks new ground in the depth and specificity of its exploration of an African musical tradition, and in the entwining of the authors’ collaborative voices. It is a testament to the powerful relationship between music and social life—and the rewards of lifelong musical study, performance, and friendship.</span>