Please join us to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the National Grange, and 124th Birthday of the Columbia Grange!

About the Musicians

The eight-member group Vawachi II Marimba Ensemble plays high energy dance music from Zimbabwe. Our music is upbeat, danceable, fun to watch, and appeals to listeners of all ages. The instruments consist of six to seven handmade marimbas of different sizes and pitch ranges, accompanied by a pair of gourd rattles called hosho, which provide the heartbeat of the music. 

Much of the repertoire played by Vawachi II is traditional music from the Shona people, arranged by leader Dr. Claire Jones. An ethnomusicologist specializing in the music of Zimbabwe, Claire has studied and performed with numerous Zimbabwean musicians including Dr. Dumisani Maraire, who introduced marimba music to the Pacific Northwest.