Deze

In Zimbabwean Shona music, a deze is a halved calabash gourd that an mbira is placed into to amplify its sound.

It is typically round and has bottle caps, shells or other objects strung around its perimeter to vibrate with the mbira, creating a buzzing sound.

Modern deze are often constructed out of fiberglass and epoxy for increased durability.

However, some mbira players, like Chartwell Dutiro, critique the use of fiberglass dezes in live performance.

Dutiro says it compromises the resonance of the mbira and thus hinders communication with dza vadzimu (ancestral spirits).