Timbila blazes ecstatic African rock with an East Village edge. The band’s surreal buzzing beauty and hypnotic dream melodies combine the traditional African timbila (Chopi xylophone, Mozambique) and mbira (Shona thumb piano, Zimbabwe) with stinging guitar riffs and sassy celestial vocals for a one-of-kind sonic blast!

Features preshow conversation “Rocking Traditional Culture” with Timbila’s Nora Balaban and Banning Eyre, of public radio’s Afropop Worldwide. This presentation is a rare opportunity to hear two adventurers / writers / performers share their journeys in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Mali and Ghana and how they create new sounds based on ancient traditions.  

Nora Balaban has studied mbira and timbila with masters—Tute Chibamba in Zimbabwe, and Venancio Mbande in Mozambique. Eyre, a writer and radio producer with public radio’s Afropop Worldwide, has played guitar with Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, Zimbabwe’s top traditional pop band, as well as The Super Rail Band of Bamako and Sali Sidibe in Mali.

Tickets are $10 and include free beer from the Hudson Valley's award-winning Captain Lawrence Brewing Company—bring your own mug.