***1/2 Ephat Mujuru

ANCIENT WISDOM: SONGS AND FABLES FROM ZIMBABWE

(Latitudes)

Mujuru is one of the world's most accomplished players of the mbiri, an African thumb piano consisting of narrow iron keys bound to a wooden soundbox. With only this deceptively simple-looking instrument and a resonant singing/speaking voice, he creates a moving presence on this, one of only three of his recordings available in the US. The centerpiece is "Chamakanda," a moral fable about the importance of keeping secrets; it's told in a charmingly understated manner by Mujuru, his words underscored by the soft metallic tinkling of his instrument. "Song for Peace" is about the singer's arduous search for peace. The disc's remaining five tunes are intricately constructed instrumentals marked by the looping, highly danceable rhythms of the Shona people. Musical phrases cycle and recycle with minute permutations, offering refreshment for ears jaded by contemporary Afropop.

-- Norman Weinstein