Featuring:
Rosalie Brown-Lundh (hosho, marimba, mbira, vocals, drums)
Phyllis Chones-Colvett (marimba, vocals)
Dave Folts (marimba, vocals)
Robert Gerding (marimba, vocals)
Deb Lippoldt (marimba, vocals)
Gordon Moyer (marimba, vocals)
Karen Twain (marimba, vocals, hosho)
Nick Weitzer (drums, harmonica, vocals, marimba)
*special guest Jim Loewenherz (mbira)
Life is Good Released in 2000
OUT OF PRINT
Preview (Requires Flash):
Tracks:
1.
Yadiloh
4:37
2.
Rugare I
4:02
3.
Shauriako
3:56
4.
Chemutengure
5:28
5.
Maimbo
4:58
6.
Mhondoro
4:42
7.
Joe's Song
4:09
8.
Muti Wambuya
4:30
9.
Manhanga
5:22
Featuring:
Cathie Clifford (marimba) Vic Cummings (marimba) Dave Folts (marimba) Robert Gerding (marimba) Price Luber (drums) Susan Moore (marimba) Gordon Moyer (marimba, mbira) Karen Twain (marimba)
Songs
Current Songs
Title
Notes
Baba Mudiki (C-Major)
Composed & arranged by Paul Mataruse. We learned this arrangement first from MyLinda King. Our arrangement features vocal parts replaced with harmonica by Nick Weitzer. This song is featured on Live Out Loud.
Baba Mudiki (G-Major)
Since our instruments have f-sharps, we decided to learn Paul's original arrangement at the 2006 ZimFest. As of spring 2008, we are still working on our final arrangement of this song. Expect to hear it at future shows.
Chemutengure
We still play the original arrangement of this song as featured on our first recording. Most of the time we play this live without nyunga nyunga mbira intro. We have a new arrangement that we've been playing more recently featuring Rosalie on dzavidzimu and Gordon on nyunga nyunga with no tempo transition. This song is featured on Life is Good.
Chikende
Chikende is a Shona word meaning ditch digger. The words to this song are about ditch diggers asking each other if they are finding mouse heads for their meal. Zimbabwe traditional mbira song. Arranged by Musekiwa Chingodza. Additional arrangement by Kukuva Marimba. Vocals by Rosalie Brown-Lundh and Nick Weitzer. We first met Musekiwa at Nhemamusasa North. He is a master mbira player, and a great teacher. This song is featured on Live Out Loud.
Chimwechangu
Chimwechangu is Shona for my better half. Composed and arranged by Garadziva Chigamba. Additional arrangement by Kukuva Marimba. Additional lead composition and arrangement by Robert Gerding. We first met Garadziva at Nhemamusasa North. He is the musical director of Jambanja. He is also an excellent teacher. This song is featured on Live Out Loud.
Chipembere
Also known as mbavarira. Zimbabwe traditional mbira song. Arrangement by Tendai Maparutsa. We met Tendai at Nhemamusasa North 2007. Tendai is one of Dumi's later students. As of spring 2008, we are still fine tuning our arrangement of this song. Expect to hear it at future shows.
Joe's Song
This was one of the first songs we learned. We comissioned Joe Bayana to write this for us, and is named after him in his honor. This song is featured on Life is Good.
Kapotso
We first heard this song on Balafon's debut recording. This is also one of the first songs we learned. The arrangement has changed somewhat over the years, and currently features an abrupt transition to a slow tempo at end with harmonica. This song is featured on Live Out Loud.
Kare Mugomba
Kare Mugomba is Shona, and means deep in the earth. Zimbabwe Traditional. Marimba arrangement by Chris Berry. Additional arrangement by MyLinda King and Kukuva Marimba. This song is featured on Live Out Loud and features vocals by Rosalie Brown-Lundh and Nick Weitzer.
Maimbo
Another staple song of Pacific Northwest marimba bands and featured on Life is Good.
Malaika
Malaika is a Swahili phrase meaning my angel. Based on a marimba arrangement from a field recording by Robert Gerding during travel to Zimbabwe in 1999. Original composition by William Fadhili. Marimba arrangement transcribed by Sheree Seretse. Additional arrangement by Kukuva Marimba. This song is a combination of Robert's original field recording along with our own incorporation of the vocals that commonly accompany popular versions of this song (such as versions by Miriam Makeba and Angelique Kidjo). This song is featured on Live Out Loud, and features vocals by Rosalie.
Manhanga
Shona word meaning pumpkins or squash. Zimbabwe traditional song in which the lyrics speak to this wedding gift in both the literal and metaphorical sense (although our version doesn't includes the vocal arrangement). Marimba arrangement by Claire Jones. We first heard this arrangment on Mutamba's recording Mutamba I, and learned the song directly from Claire. This song is featured on our Life is Good.
Muka Tiende
A Shona term meaning wake up, let's go. Zimbabwe traditional mbrira song. Many of us have always loved this song, and have been searching for a version to learn for some time. A new song for us that we were very excited to learn from Garadziva Chigamba. As of spring 2008, we are still working out our arrangement for this. Expect to hear it at future shows.
Muti Wambuya
Zimbabwe traditional. Marimba arrangement by Sheree Seretse. The original arrangement for this has singing in the middle, but we didn't sing at the time that we heard it. Sheree improvised the break to feature a soprano solo instead of the singing. We originally learned this song in c-maj but have since moved it back to the original key. This song is featured on Life is Good.
Nhemamusasa
Nhemamusasa is a Shona term meaning temporary shelter. Zimbabwe traditional mbira song. Marimba arrangement by Nathan Beck. Additional arrangement by Kukuva Marimba. This song is featured on Live Out Loud and features an mbira intro and ending by Rosalie Brown-Lundh & special guest Jim Loewenherz.
Rabi Gee
Rabi is a Zimbabwe traditional dance song. Gee refers to the fact that this song is in the key of G. Based on a marimba arrangement from a field recording by Robert Gerding during a travel to Zimbabwe in 1999. Marimba arrangement transcribed by Sheree Seretse. Additional arrangement by Kukuva Marimba. This song is featured on Live Out Loud.
Rugare-Mangwanani
Shona words meaning peace and good morning. A Dumi standard here in the Pacific Northwest. Still a favorite of many members of the band.
Skokiaan
A Shona term meaning moonshine or illegally brewed spirits. Also known as Sikokiyana or Skokiana. Another common song performed by many bands in the Pacific Northwest. Made popular by Louis Armstrong. Composed by August Msarurgwa. Marimba arrangement by Ephat Mujuru. Additional arrangement by MyLinda King. This song is featured on Live Out Loud.
Soko
Soko is Shona for monkey. The monkey is the totem of the Chigamba family. Composed and arranged by Garadziva Chigamba. Additional arrangement by Kukuva Marimba. We learned this song from Garadziva. This song is on Live Out Loud, and features a unique drum / lead / bass into that we arranged.
Vamudara
Vamudara is a Shona term roughly translated as old man. The lyrics convey the idea that some times you should give people what they ask for, not what you think they need. Zimbabwe Traditional. Vocal arrangement by Dumisani Maraire. Marimba arrangement by Wanda Walker. Additional arrangement by Kukuva Marimba. Additional lead composition and arrangement by Robert Gerding. This song is featured on Live Out Loud.
Yadiloh
An original composition by Robert Gerding. This song is featured on Life is Good, but has since been rearranged to include a transition from C-maj to G-maj and then back.
Zendikaiwa
Another staple song performed by many bands in the Pacific Northwest. Our arrangement is very similar to the way we were taught this song in the early 1990's.
Past Songs Kukuva No Longer Performs
Title
Notes
Amoxoxo
Another song from Balafon's first recording that we loved so much and wanted to play ourselves. Gordon first played the lead to this, and then the lead moved on to Deb who had learned a unique version from MyLinda King. When Vic & Cathie left the band, this song got lost in the reorganization and hasn't been played much since. A common song often taught to new students by many instructors in the Portland area .
Mhondoro
Zimbabwe traditional mbira song. Arrangement by Joe Bayana. We learned this song back when Kukuva first formed. Cathie Clifford played the lead to this song, and when she left the band we stopped playing this song. This song is featured on Life is Good.
Rugare I
Rugare is a Shona word which means peace. We learned this song from Alport Mhlanga during his first visit to the US. We had made significant changes to the original arrangment. Victor Cummings played lead on this song, and when he left the band we stopped playing this song. This song is featured on Life is Good.
Shauriako
This song was also a Joe Bayan arrangement that Price Luber learned when he was a member of the short-lived Village Spirit marimba band. Price was an original member of Kukuva, and had left to join Village Spirit, where he learned this song. After Price left that band and returned to Kukuva, he taught us this arrangment. When Price left the band, we stopped performing this song. This song is featured on Life is Good.
