Deze
A deze
Deze with an mbira Dzavadzimu in the typical configuration
In Zimbabwean Shona music, a deze is a halved calabash gourd in which an mbira is placed in order to amplify its sound. It is typically round in shape and has bottle caps, shells or other objects strung around its perimeter which vibrate with the mbira, creating a buzzing sound. Cracked deze frequently are repaired by wire stitching. Modern deze are often constructed out of fiberglass and epoxy for increased durability.
See also
Further reading
- Berliner, Paul. (1978). The Soul of Mbira: music and traditions of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. Berkeley : University of California Press.
- Tracey, Andrew. (1970). How to play the mbira (dza vadzimu). Roodepoort, Transvaal, South Africa: International Library of African Music.
- Tracey, Hugh. (1969). The Mbira class of African Instruments in Rhodesia (1932). African Music Society Journal, 4:3, 78-95.
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