Enjoy the rhythms, sights and sounds of Mexico and Zimbabwe in downtown Eugene. Kwaziwai will present Zimabwean marimba and Raices will present regional Mexican dances. We are excited to collaborate with a sister cultural arts program that includes the marimba in its sound.
Sponsored by City of Eugene Cultural Services Downtown Program Fund
A group from Kutsinhira recently visited a soon-to-close exhibit at the Lane County Historical Museum called Racing for Change. We all learned a lot, some of it quite eye-opening, about Eugene and Oregon’s history with the much ostracized Black community and about Blacks who remained in spite of the overt racism in the area. We would highly recommend a visit to this fascinating exhibit before it closes on April 1.
Racing to Change tells the story of Black experiences in Oregon highlighting those right here in Lane County. The original exhibit was created by the Oregon Black Pioneers with added content by the Museum of Natural and Cultural History. New content added by the Lane County History Museum includes historic photographs and videos, oral history, and an interactive poetry wall.
More information can be found on the Lane County Historical Museum website.
We are so pleased to have our teacher and friend Musekiwa Chingodza back after a three year hiatus as this year’s artist-in-residence. After much delay in securing his visa, he arrived in the U.S. just in time for our mbira student’s favorite gathering Camp paGungwa, held on the Oregon coast over the Labor Day weekend. We were blessed by stunning weather and several new mbira pieces from Musekiwa. Musekiwa is now travelling in the U.S. working with other communities, universities and long-time students. He’ll return to Eugene in November.
Kutsinhira’s performing ensembles enjoyed a busy spring and summer season. Chapwititi members returned to play after a year away at college for some of the group, and Kwaziwai enjoyed playing at Zimfest, the annual festival returning to in-person in Mt. Vernon, Washington last June. Jenaguru will round out the gigging season with a performance in Kesey Square Friday, October 7, 5:00 – 6:30. It will be a nice fall evening of music in conjunction with Eugene’s monthly First Friday Art Walk.
Classes are in full swing at the center. A beginners marimba class will start-up on Wednesdays 7:30-9:00. If interested in joining this class or perhaps a more advanced class, please contact Kutsinhira’s education facilitator Kay Burdick at kay@kutsinhira.org.
Annual Membership is renewable again here. We appreciate the support of our non-student members which allows us to keep our class tuition fees low, to continue to sponsor visits by master musicians like Musekiwa and to give back to our Zimbabwean teachers, friends and their communities through the Zimbabwean Community Development Program.
We are thankful for all that we receive from the gifts of Zimbabwean music and its people.
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We at Kutsinhira Cultural Arts Center continue to mourn the passing of the great mbira player Sekuru Cosmas Magaya, our long-time teacher and friend, who died on July 10, 2020, after contracting COVID-19. An international Zoom memorial was held on October 10. Many family members, including his grand children, close friends, hosts, and mbira students spoke and played the mbira in his honor. For those unable to attend, we have made available a link to the recorded memorial. We hope you’ll be inspired to remember Sekuru Magaya’s legacy and to uphold his way of teaching, learning and living.
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