Music Computer Workshop

Details
Created: Wednesday, 15 October 2003 00:00
The workshop "Music + computer for future cultural heritage" at Binga ITC was held by two composers, Klaus Hollinetz from Linz / Austria and Keith Goddard from Harare. It started on Wednesday 17th September and ended with a short presentation of the outcome for the 3rd Binga ITC stakeholders seminar on Saturday 20th September. Participants were music teachers and artists from all over Binga area and from as far as Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and Choma / Zambia. The workshop was organised by Austria Zimbabwe Friendship Association in collaboration with Kunzwana Trust, World Links and Horizon 3000 and was funded by the Austrian Embassy in Harare.

The focus of the workshop was on Ngoma Buntibe music with field recordings made of a performance of the group Simonga at Siachilaba on the first day. On the second day the recording of Simonga was then used to go through the various steps of editing, which covered the analysing, filtering and converting of the audio file to mp3 for uploading onto the Internet. On the third day the audio material from the field recordings in Siachilaba and from around the Binga ITC was then used together to come up with a composition, which the participants entitled “Konjila”, which is Tonga for “come in”.

A challenge that came up as a result of the workshop was that of notating the Ngoma Buntibe Music as well as researching further on it. The workshop and its results were regarded as highly relevant not only for networking of artists and music teachers but also to provide them with the most advanced tools to preserve and develop their music skills and cultural heritage. Thanks / Twalumba to all participants and facilitators!