Mawungira eNharira member dies

January 7, 2009 by Caleb Hamandishe ·
Filed under: Entrepreneurship

By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka- The Herald

Tonderai Phiri, one of the members of the famed mbira group Mawungira eNharira has died. He was 32.

Phiri died on Saturday at his home in Norton after suffering from dysentery.

According to Matanho Project who worked with his group Mawungira eNharira, Phiri spent the last few weeks of his life without access to medical care or proper nourishment.

He is survived by his wife Charity and two children.

Tonderai affectionately known as Tonde 1 was a master gwenyambira, hosho player and dancer.

Born in 1976, Tonde 1 started off as a member of Mbira DzeNharira before he went on to form Mawungira eNharira with the other six players.

During Mawungira Enharira’s Summer 2008 tour of the United States, organised by Matanho Project, Tonde 1 thrilled audiences with his spirited hosho playing and dancing skills.

He always sought to broaden audience members’ understanding of Shona culture, customs and spirituality by explaining the context behind the music played by the band.

More than any other member of the band, Tonde 1 could single-handedly drive his fellow band mates and audience members into a frenzy with hosho and body percussion.

He had a way about him that made it look easy, and he walked with an air of someone so fully possessed of and with his music.

“Those who spent the last months of his life with him said they watched him wilt away after his return from the United States, as if life itself was slowly slipping away from him before their eyes.

“Tonde 1 lived his life with a sense of wonder and unreserved joy. This in large part is what attracted people to him and his music.

“There was no easy difference between Tonde 1 the amazing musician and Tonde the person. He was faced with some of the difficulties that come with such fame,” a spokesperson of Matanho said.

He said no eulogy would be complete without accepting that behind the amazing spirit, musician, dancer and storyteller that Tonde 1 also built bridges even as he was walking across them.

Matanho Project is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of Zimbabwean musicians and their communities.

Board members Paul Mataruse, Byron and Dan Moffett, and Rose Orskog, with its first project being the Mawungira Enharira Summer 2008 tour of the United States started it.

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