Filbert Marova
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Filbert Marova | |
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| Birth name | Filbert Marova |
| Born | Dzivarasekwa, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Origin | Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Jazz pianist, guitarist |
| Instruments | Piano, guitar, marimba |
| Years active | Early 1980s–present |
| Associated acts | Scanners International |
Filbert Marova is a Zimbabwean jazz pianist who has been active in Zimbabwe's music scene since the early 1980s.[1] He is the founder of the Zimbabwe Jazz Community Trust (ZJCT), which he established in 2016 to revive and at the same time preserve jazz culture in Zimbabwe.[2]
Early life and education
Filbert grew up in Dzivarasekwa, Harare, Zimbabwe. He attended Gillingham Primary School, where he played lead marimba. During his childhood, he taught himself to play a three-string oil-tin made guitar before receiving his first acoustic guitar at the age of 11. At 15, he began formal classical guitar training and formed his first band, Scanners International, with other local youth musicians.[3]
Musical career
Early career and influences
Marova has been active in music for more than four decades. He was introduced to jazz in 1993 while studying at the The Zimbabwe Academy of Music, where he collaborated closely with Mozambican musician Celso Paco. He has cited Antonio Carlos Jobim's The Girl from Ipanema as a key catalyst for his interest in the genre. His early influences also include Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock and Abdullah Ibrahim amongst others.[3]
Bands and ensembles
Throughout his career, Marova has co-founded and performed with several ensembles. Frontline Kids focused on Afro-fusion and jit music, while Jacaranda Muse explored experimental jazz. He later performed jazz standards with groups such as Riders Band and Z-Brass, before moving into jazz fusion with Jazz Invitation.[4]
Filbert has mentored award-winning artists such as Victor Kunonga.[5]
Mbiriano
In 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown period, Marova developed Mbiriano, a musical style that integrates Shona mbira music with jazz piano. The concept originated when he began transcribing traditional mbira repertoire onto the piano, later expanding these works to include jazz harmony and improvisations.[1]
Discography
- Kariba Bream
- Nyanga Trout
- Hard Hat Area
- Zim Jazz Chapter One
- Mbiriano [6]
- Metamorphosis
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Marova reinvents jazz". The Standard. Alpha Media Holdings. 3 January 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ↑ Muleya, Khumbulani. "Zim Jazz Festival roars into life". The Zimbabwe Independent. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "From a three-string oil tin guitar to pioneering a new genre". Zimbabwe Now. Zimbabwe Now. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ↑ "Filbert Marova". Music In Africa. Music In Africa Foundation. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ↑ NewsDay, The. "All that jazz: Kunonga a rare, passionate musician". NewsDay. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
- ↑ "Filbert Marova". Music In Africa. 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
External links
This article "Filbert Marova" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.