Do you sanza?

02/04/2012

Written by Jonathan Reid

Although the sanza may not be a popular instrument in America, to the Shona people of Zimbabwe who have been playing it for a thousand years, it is cherished.

Beginning on Feb. 25 and ending in early October, the Musical Instrument Museum will be combining its own sanzas with the F. & F. Boulanger-Bouhière collection to display them in its latest exhibition.

MIM chief curator Manuel Jordán is looking forward to sharing this unique instrument with Valley residents.

“We are excited to bring this exhibition to MIM because it fits so well within our global setting,” Jordán said. “(The exhibit) enables us to further celebrate our world’s diverse musical cultures and foster understanding of this unique tradition.”

The exhibit, titled Sanza: African Thumb Pianos from the Collections of F. & F. Boulanger-Bouhière and MIM, will feature 200 handcrafted sanzas from over nine countries, mostly in Central and Eastern Africa. It will also have audio and video stations along with live performances on some dates.

Sanza is a generic term used to describe a family of African instruments known as thumb pianos or lamellophones. Other common names for sanzas are the “mbira,” “likembe” and “kalimba.”

Sanzas consist of a soundboard, which acts as the resonator, and metal keys that are pressed down to create sound. The size and shape of the soundboard plays a large role in determining the sound of the instrument. Although the sound of the sanza is unique, it is often compared to the xylophone.

Every sanza at the exhibit is unique because all of them are made by hand without particular specifications, Jordán said. Many of the sanzas vary dramatic in size and materials. Some are made of vegetal materials and have iron keys. Others with wooden soundboards have artistic carvings of motifs and figures to honor ancestors.

Historically, the sanza has been used by peoples in Africa such as the Shona for religious ceremonies, social gatherings and as a way to speak to the dead. It has also been used by African historians and storytellers as a way to musically pass along tales of ancestors and former chieftains.

MIM was able to obtain the Boulanger-Bouhière collection on a loan. Mr. and Mrs. Boulanger-Bouhière are Belgian music collectors who have focused on collecting specifically sanzas for the past two decades.

“As collectors they decided, early on, to focus on the instrument as they found it to be precious and particularly rich in its diversity of forms and aesthetic qualities as an object,” Jordán said.

MIM typically gets instruments through individual purchases and loans. The musical collection at MIM consists of over 15,000 instruments and contextualized materials representing all countries in the world, Jordán said.

The exhibition will be on display in the Target Gallery and is free with general admission to MIM. MIM is located on Tatum just south of the 101 North in Phoenix. For more information, click here or call 480-478-6000.