A part of the religious and secular ceremonies of Zimbabwe's Shona people for more than a millennium, the mbira dzavadzimu (mbira of the ancestor spirits), is made of two dozen metal keys mounted on a wood soundboard inside a resonating calabash gourd, played with the thumbs and one finger, producing entrancingly melodic music with invigorating polyphony and polyrhythms. Forward Kwenda, Zimbabwe's leading player, taught himself to play as a child before studying with the elder masters in his teenage years. He has gained international acclaim for his virtuosity, soulfulness, and unprecedented range of melodic and rhythmic improvisation. Tonight Kwenda performed compositions from his recently released album, Chakwi (marshy place) which emphasizes the healing quality of the music. Berkeley's Erica Azim, a master player in her own right, records, performs, and leads mbira workshops throughout the world.