Nora Balaban Email & Phone Number

I began my musical career in 1980, singing with the rock band, Pop Decay in the east village. We performed at CBGB’s, Max’s Kansas City, and other underground clubs. In 1982, I relocated to San Francisco, to join the world beat band Mapenzi, a ten-piece “Zimbabwe Style” dance band. I played marimba and sang with the group for 3 years. I began composing pop songs based on African marimba grooves which led to the formation of my own band “Fuzz Factor”, a band fusing African marimbas with rock and roll. During this period I discovered Timbila (Mozambique’s traditional xylophone) and became mesmerized with the music. It was the love of timbila and mbira that first brought me to Africa.In 1996 I traveled to Ghana to study Gyil (Ghanaian xylophone), with Bernard Woma of the Ghana National Dance Ensemble. I spent 2 months in Ghana, and then traveled to Zimbabwe to study mbira with master mbira players Tute Chigamba and his family. I crossed the border to Mozambique to begin my timbila studies with the great master Venancio Mbande. I have returned to Zimbabwe and Mozambique several times over the last ten years to continue my musical studies. I collected many beautiful instruments and crafts in Africa, and opened Tribal Soundz world music instrument store, specializing in ethnic instruments and international Cds in 1998. It quickly became a community oriented world music center. We sponsored music workshops, concerts and events. Presently I teach private mbira lessons and mbira workshops. I organize classes and concerts for visiting mbira & timbila masters from Africa..  I perform with my group “Timbila” an “Afrodelic Xylo Pop Band” with Banning Eyre of Afropop Worldwide. I compose music for the band,in addition to playing timbila, mbira and singing. I also play mbira with MbiraNYC, a traditional mbira group based in NYC.I have begun work filming a documentary to help bring attention to, and preserve the traditional Chopi timbila music of Mozambique.

Listed skills include Music, Band, Composition, Songs, and 42 others.

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  University Of Michigan

  Fine/Studio Arts, General