In Mozambique, field recordings were made from Maputo to Inhambane, with the guidance of Celso Paco, a master musician and ethnomusicologist from the University of Mozambique. Recordings include women’s song and dance from the country’s northernmost province, reflecting Islamic influence; skipping games demonstrated by the Nampula Dance Group; Chopi timbila (xylophone) orchestras; Ngalanga, a dance by young men after circumcision; Ligambusa-style music from Nungo; Mapico drumming and masked spirit dance of the men’s secret society; Macuye, a style of drumming that is so fast and physically taxing that substitute drummers are required; and the Zore celebration music and hip dances.

Mr. Cinco, one of the last players of the karimba, was recorded. 7 or 8 curious kids followed along, curious and amazed that some westerners had come so far to their part of the world to hear this particular instrument. After the recording work was finished, they crowded around Mr. Cinco and begged him, “Teach us how to play.” Also recorded was a group directed by Sheila Bankwa, a dancer from the Mozambique National Ballet. Her troupe is composed of young girl orphans she took off the streets and taught to dance, accompanied by a timbila orchestra.

The power of the Chopi timbila is found in its essence in the orchestra of grand master Venancio Mbande and his sons. Mr. Mbande’s ensemble is composed of about 15 wooden xylophones, from soprano to the massive bass, with its 4 giant planks for bars and huge gourd resonators. The Chopi timbila are typically tuned to what ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey calls a “minor whole-tone scale,” meaning that the degrees of the scale are roughly the same distance apart, so that the octave is divided into 7 equal parts as opposed to the 12 notes that western ears are accustomed to.

The timbila music can be complicated and dense, often featuring rhythms of 3 against 4, producing a high level of syncopation. The gourd resonators have small holes covered by a membrane that buzzes, so that all the bars produce a buzzing sound as well. When the entire orchestra plays together, it produces a stunning symphonic tapestry of interlocking parts, like a dynamic buzzing sonic ecosystem. The traditional timbila suites incorporate solo and orchestral pieces with dance segments for 2 – 12 dancers. The masters of the Chopi timbila report a lack of interest in the next generation to carry on this heritage; in addition, deforestation of the mwenje tree, whose resonant wood gives the timbila its distinct sound, has affected the making of new instruments.