music
Chartwell Dutiro
Chartwell grew up in rural Zimbabwe and started playing the mbira when he was four.
The mbira is an ancient instrument, consisting of at least 22 metal keys mounted on a wooden soundboard. Chartwell and his brother would often play mbira all night, calling the ancestral spirits for guidance, as has been done in Zimbabwe over centuries.
As a teenager Chartwell moved to the capital, joining the Salvation Army band, and from 1986 to 1994 he toured the world with the legendary ‘Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited’ . Since 1994, Chartwell has been based in Britain, performing, recording, teaching, and building bridges through his music.
Chartwell teaches Mbira, dance, percussion and singing in community and school settings nationally and internationally.