Why Buy your mbira from Mbira Magic?

I encourage everyone to buy direct from the maker - it’s empowering for them and saves me work - but that method will always carry some risks.

Sadly, I get too many emails from folk who have had a disappointing buying experience… saying things like: ‘badly tuned’, ‘damaged in transit’, ‘not what I asked for’, ‘never even arrived’, and so on.

Because I want everyone to have an mbira that they love to play, I try to source what I think are the best instruments and make them available to you here.

I offer videos of your preferred instruments and free advice to help you make an informed choice, followed up with robust packaging and shipment tracking.

Please ask about fine tuning, overtone tuning, layout adjustments, and wood treatment - available for new and old mbiras.

If you have a problem instrument and want it brought back to life, please get in touch.

Instruments In Stock

I usually have the following instruments/tunings in stock:

• D Nyamaropa from Gift Chigede - same maker/tuning/layout as all of Forward Kwenda’s nyamaropa recordings in our mbira video archive, www.mbira.online

• G# Mavembe (Dindinyongwe/Village Tuning) from Gift Chigede - Popular tuning of Chartwell Dutiro, named after the mountain overlooking his early mbira learning village

• Bb Nyamaropa (Devon Tuning) from Leonard Chiyanike - Popular tuning of Chartwell Dutiro, named after the location of his yearly summer Mbira Camps

• Nemakonde (F Mavembe) from Leonard Chiyanike - same maker/tuning/layout as all of Forward Kwenda’s mavembe recordings in our mbira video archive, www.mbira.online

Watch the video to above to see beautiful examples from these two top mbira makers.

This is a practical and beautiful selection of mbira instruments suitable for new and experienced players alike.

All the instruments I stock are made with my 26-note layout as standard.

Please let me know if you would prefer a different layout or tuning, or if you have any other customisations in mind.

How to Buy an Mbira from Andy

Mbira selling isn’t a profit-driven enterprise for me. I just do it to help you out. This means I don’t have an online store-front, sorry!

I publish photos of available instruments on the Mbira Magic Instagram page. Once you’re there, scroll down to find the most recent mbira pictures.

These are usually up to date (text beneath says what’s sold or still available) but I often have some extra instruments in different tunings available. Take a look, and message me there, or by email at mbiramagic (@) gmail.com asking for an existing stock list, videos of your favourites, to place a custom order, or to join a waiting list. I get new stock every couple of months.