Google Doodles celebrate Zimbabwe's Mbira

Google Doodles celebrate Zimbabwe;'s Mbira

By Staff Reporter

Mbira Google Doodle

Google Doodles joined Zimbabweans from across the world in celebrating the cultural week through a mbira doodle on their home page. The Mbira doodle appeared on the Google homepage on 21 May 2020 which coincided with the Zimbabwe Cultural Week.

Albert Chimedza of the Mbira Centre on the clip shared on Youtube by Google Doodles said, "I think anyone who has had more than five minutes with Zimbabwean mbira cannot forget the sound. To me, it's a cross between water and air."

Mbira has been played in Zimbabwe for over a thousand years by the Shona people at traditional gatherings as well as for entertainment purposes. The Mbira instrument consists of the Gwariva (sound board made of hardwood), Deze (hollow gourd) and metal keys which can be plucked with fingers. Used metal bottle caps are also fitted on the mbira to amplify the sound.

Traditionally the Mbira instrument was meant for men, however in modern Zimbabwe women have made the instrument more popular than anyone have ever imagined. Ambuya Stella Chiweshe and Chiwoniso Maraire have made it in life and travelled around the globe playing Mbira.

The Mbira Google Doodle comes as a relief to the Mbira fans who are locked indoors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. As Zimbabwe celebrated World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, Google Doodle paid homage to the Mbira instrument. However the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe has organized a musical concert on Saturday 23 May 2020 to be screened live on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation and their Facebook page at 21:30Hrs.  

Culture Week is celebrated as part of the universal declaration on cultural diversity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which declared May 21 as the World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. In Zimbabwe the Culture Week is a distinct way of celebrating and commemorating the United Nations World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development which falls on May 21 each year.

A Google Doodle is a very special and temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. Zimbabwe Mbira have historically fallen on over 4000 doodles created by Google “Doddlers” to date.