Teacher Biographies
Chartwell Dutiro
CHARTWELL DUTIRO has been playing mbira for over 35 years, including 20 years playing for spirit mediums in many different ceremonies in his native Zimbabwe. He was mbira player, saxophonist and arranger for Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited for 8 years.
He is committed to popularising mbira music and is an experienced teacher. He has conducted workshops worldwide for people of all ages and musical abilities and is responsible for teaching mbira as a credit course at SOAS, where he is also a Masters student writing a dissertation on mbira.
Chartwell is a music advisor to the Commonwealth Institute and is working with the Institute to teach mbira at teachers' Inset days as part of an initiative to bring the music of the world to UK schools.
He has toured extensively in Britain and worldwide, with WOMAD in the UK and abroad. He also composed and plays the music for Fraser Grace's 2005 play 'Breakfast with Mugabe', which was showing at London's Soho Theatre in April 2006.
Chartwell’s solo album, released in 2000, is entitled Voices of Ancestors. He also has several recordings on CD in which he plays with the band Spirit Talk Mbira: Ndonga Mahwe (1997), Nhime (1999), Dzoro (2000) and Taanerimwe.