***1/2 Forward Kwenda

SVIKIRO

(Shanachie)

The meditative beauty of Shona mbira music from Zimbabwe has never been so effectively recorded as on this debut by Forward Kwenda. The mbira, a metal-pronged "hand piano," first attained global recognition in the '70s when Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited set the instrument against electric dance grooves of music fired with the determination and yearning of Zimbabwe's independence struggle. But this recording succeeds as none before in translating ethnic religious music into an accessible listening experience.

That's mostly because Kwenda himself is a phenomenon. His groundbreaking interpretations of traditional pieces incorporate virtuoso improvisation -- on "Chipembere Nhimutimu" and "Mandarendare," cyclic melodies familiar to mbira fans gradually morph into otherworldly variations. Erica Azim, an accomplished American mbira player, heads up the production team here; he also accompanies Kwenda on some tracks. They keep the sound open and uncluttered, mixing the hums and cries of Kwenda's vocal behind the mbiras, and reserving the lively hosho (shaker percussion) for just one of the 11 tracks. A must for fans of traditional African music.

-- Banning Eyre