Chopi Culture - Live Concert
The project "Chopi Culture - Live Concert" consists of the live stream transmission of a traditional music concert in high-quality of images and sound.
Chopi Culture - Live Concert
The project “Chopi Culture – Live Concert” consists of the live stream transmission of a traditional music concert in high quality of image and sound, with the aim of praising Chopi’s musicality and inserting our
contemporary cultural productions in global digital platforms, expanding the reach of the public and the visibility of Mozambican art. Accompanied by studio rehearsals, we will create innovative formats for the preservation of intangible heritage in a virtual environment, musical live presentation, cooperation and knowledge exchange to overcome the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic in cultural groups on the outskirts of Maputo: Timbila Muzimba, Hodi Band and Moticoma Band. The project will take place between November and December 2021, at Nzango Artist Residency.
The Chopi culture has its origins in the southern part of the province of Inhambane and is the cultural heart of this people and their musical tradition of playing the timbila (plural for mbila), a xylophone made from
the slats of wood from the spattering tree, called mhwnjhe in Chopi , and dried masala fruit peels or gourds as resonators. This musical tradition, said to be over 500 years old, goes far beyond playing an instrument, it
implies a harmonious relationship with nature that permeates the cultural fabric of Chopi society. Similar to some West African dynasties, the ability to play the timbila is passed on to families from one generation to the next. Currently, groups living in urban areas are reinventing thes traditions, practicing new and different versions of Chopi musicality.