Inhambane
Mozambique
Timbila
(Positivo Moçambique, Mango Sound, 2022)
Timbila Ta Venâncio
Mestre Venâncio, founder of this group, worked for 44 years in South Africa where he had the idea of bringing together several people of the Chope ethnic group who are there to form a group in the Impala mines. When he returned to Mozambique after realizing that none of the people who practiced timbila existed in Zavala, he had the idea of founding a group in 1995 which from the beginning was a combination of several masters from various locations and was called at the time Timbila Ta Venâncio Ta Mpatano. Created and composed by young people and adults, most part of the same family. In this group, almost all players are instrument manufacturers, thus guaranteeing the maintenance and quality of the group. The orchestra has toured extensively in Europe and several other African countries. The Master taught several people in Europe how to play the timbila, in particular Holland, as a way of spreading Chope culture and art.
Timbila Ta Xitsoho
This is a group made up of teenagers, young people and adults with the particularity of having girls in the group, thus making it different from other groups. Timbila Ta Xitsoho has already toured abroad, to present the Chope culture, although the master is not an instrument maker. Most of the members of this group come from schools.
Timbila Ta Muane
The group faces several difficulties because the master of the group has been sick for many years, and thus cannot move to the center of rehearsals. Mestre Filipe has been an instrument maker since his youth. The group is made up of young people who, for the most part, face difficulties in finding a job. So they migrate to South Africa in search of sustenance for their families.
Timbila Ta Canda
Lately, the group has few members and all of its members are of advanced age, thus having difficulties in maintaining the orchestra. Having many stories from the past to tell, they face difficulties with the instruments, as there is no one in the group who makes them, thus becoming dependent on the other masters.
Timbila Ta Masivela
This is one of the orchestras that remains alive and composed by young people. Most of them are from the same family. Mestre Estevão is an instrument maker. It has been him who is helping several Timbila groups in the district to repair and teach how to make instruments. This group has already toured abroad at international festivals as a way of contributing to the dissemination of Timbila.
Timbila Ta Nhacutoho
This is a group made up of mostly older players. Artists in this group have been dancing timbila for decades. In this group we find the Moenje center, as it was here where we found Mr. Luis Samende who planted Moenje since 1975 and is a nursery supplier for most of the timbila builders. To repopulate areas in this way, we have Moenje plants in each cultural group, thus guaranteeing the future of timbila culture.