My works explores memory, healing, mythology and coloniality in a contemporary and historical context. The sound work Kuphiliswa – healing in Zulu, the language of my ancestors – is composed primarily on the Mbira, an instrument that dates back to the stone age. I am reclaiming pre-colonial healing traditions that have been suppressed by dominant colonial dynamics through which I can reclaim an identity that feels displaced.
Extract from Q&A with Chloe Austin
I felt a weight lifted from me while listening to the beautiful sounds of Kuphiliswa. What made you consider sound as a medium for healing – is there a pre-colonial tradition of sound used in this way?
In reference to pre-colonial tradition in Southern Africa, where rhythm, repetition and sound have always been a central element to many rituals, customs and ceremonies, the mbira is a tuned percussion instrument and was born out of the Stone Age in Central Africa. In Southern African countries like Zimbabwe, South Africa and Eswatini, the mbira was and still is prescribed by traditional healers for the purpose of healing mental and physical illness, and is also believed to open up a channel to communicate with ancestors.
The ancient African mouthbow instrument, used predominantly in Southern Africa, evolved from a bow and arrow used for the purpose of hunting, but then evolved also to be used as a musical instrument. Our ancestors have crafted these tools to assist in coping with life’s hardships. Instruments like the violin and piano have evolved from the mbira and mouthbow. They have travelled with the diaspora and are still used for healing purposes globally.
