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Mbira/Sansi inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
The 15th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICG) held from 14-19 December 2020 inscribed Malawi and Zimbabwe’s art of crafting and playing mbira/sansi (thumb piano) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Mbira/Sansi concerns the art of playing and making a traditional finger-plucking musical instrument in Malawi and Zimbabwe. The instrument consists of a wooden board with metal keys attached on top and is sometimes mounted on a calabash/wooden resonator. The keys are plucked using the thumbs, or a combination of thumbs and fingers. The Mbira/Sansi produces a fluid percussive sound considered to be mystic, tranquil and enchanting. An important feature of the music is its cyclical nature: each new repetition of a theme varies slightly from the last and incorporates numerous interwoven melodies. The instrument can be played on its own or with multiple instruments in a group.
In Malawi, the songs sung during the music contain important messages about good behaviour, as well as communicating information about events that happened in the past. In Zimbabwe, the instrument is played at spiritual invocation ceremonies, funeral wakes, memorials, and traditional healing ceremonies. The music is also used as a form of general entertainment during social gatherings.
Knowledge and skills relating to the practice are traditionally transmitted by apprenticeship, mainly within the family. However, nowadays transmission also occurs through formal coaching.
Accepting the inscription online, Malawi’s Director of Arts and Culture, Dr Lovemore Mazibuko, hailed regional cooperation for the safeguarding of ICH in southern Africa.
The global recognition of the craft and the music has the potential to foster the development and expansion of cultural markets for mbira artistes and sustainable economic development for the country at large.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry celebrated the nomination saying it shows the country’s commitment to the implementation of the 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
She added that culture has the power to transform entire societies, strengthen local communities and forge a sense of identity and belonging for the people of all ages and persuasions.
This year’s session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage inscribed three elements on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and 29 elements on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This year also saw the highest number of multi-country nominations, with 14 inscriptions testifying to the ability of intangible cultural heritage to bring people together and promote international cooperation.
The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is made up of those intangible heritage elements that help demonstrate the diversity of this heritage and raise awareness about its importance.
