Marimba Faculty
Dan Kusaya
"I was born in Rusape, Zimbabwe and from early on in my childhood I displayed an interest and knack for traditional music and instruments (ngoma, hosho, marimba and mbira). In time I formed a mbira band with my brother Tendayi. We often played for my father and at community gatherings and concerts. This is how I met the lion of Zimbabwe, Thomas Mapfumo, who then took me along to play with him all over Southern Africa. From 2007-2011 my brother and I had a band named Two Brothers Mbira. We performed in Mozambique (Pa Nyungwe festival) and many more small community events."
-Dan Kusaya
Wadzanai Marimba:
Addie Reef
Addie has played marimba since 2014, and been a member of the Wadzanai Marimba Ensemble since 2018. He traveled to Zimfest in 2019, and has learned from Dr. Sheasby Matuire, Dr. Michael Sibanda, Tafadzwa Matuire, Daniel Lockley, Eric Miller, and Meghan Reef.
Meghan Matthews
Meghan Matthews first began playing Zimbabwean music in 2005 at Indiana University Bloomington as part of an African Music and Culture class in the Ethnomusicology Department, earning her degree in 2007. In 2006, she was invited to join the Mbira Queens and shortly after, the Mutinhimira Marimba Ensemble. She remains active in the Zimbabwean music scene, performing and attending Zimfest in 2008 and 2019. She also builds Zimbabwean marimbas. The Wadzanai Marimba Ensemble plays on instruments largely built by Meghan. She voluntarily coordinated Dr. Sheasby Matiure’s tour to the U.S. in 2014 and Tafadzwa’s tours in 2018 and 2019. She has studied Zimbabwean marimba with Dr. Sheasby Matiure, Tafadzwa Matiure, Eric Miller, and Gary Spalter and Zimbabwean mbira with Dr. Sheasby Matiure, Tafadzwa Matiure, Patience Chaitezvi Munjeri, and Musikewa Chingodza. Meghan has a long history of playing music, having played violin since the age of 4. She has also been a professional DJ for nearly 20 years.
