Music, Dance and Song will be the focus for the first two weeks of the trip and Ceremony, healing and medicine for the second two week portion of the trip. you may join us for one of both of the sessions. From July 7th-21st, we will experience music, dance and learning from inside the Shona culture of Zimbabwe. This will include a deep dive into drumming, Mbira, dance and song depending on each individuals interest. From July 21st to August 4th we will turn our attention to unique visionary medicines, ceremony, and spirit mediumship in Unique to Shona culture rarely shared with outsiders. We will see the roles that music and dance play in these paths as well. Chris Berry (musician and guide) speaks fluent Shona and was adopted by the Shona people in 1992. Chris was given his own cultural center and home on a mountain in the village of Zambuko. For the music and dance focused portion of this offering (7/7-21) we will visit various traditional groups throughout Zimbabwe, and also host master teachers at Zambuko for workshops. We will also attend ceremonies and traditional events, where the music will be performed in its traditional context. The second portion of the journey will focus on the ancient spirit traditions of Zimbabwe, including initiatory ceremony, Mapira ceremonies where mediums become possessed by ancient spirits and share wisdom and healing. We will also explore and experience a rare visioning medicine called “Matare” (DM for details). This is a unique opportunity for us to be welcomed into the culture, rather than view it from the outside. The investment for this journey of a lifetime is $1,950 for 2 weeks or $3,500 for the entire month. Cost includes all accommodation, food and transport in Zimbabwe.
