The Johnsonian

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Michael Spiro discovered his other half when he met music professor Michael Williams in the fall of 1998.

Spiro is a Grammy-nominated percussionist / producer specifically known for his Latin-influenced music. He famously works with the Cuban bata drum, a sacred instrument of African origins used to contact ancestors.

Williams told Spiro of his interest in the Zimbabwean mbira, commonly called a thumb piano, which consists of a wooden board containing 22-28 staggered metal keys that is plucked with the thumb and forefinger.

After hearing Williams play, Spiro immediately became excited and said, "An American from South Carolina isn't supposed to play and sing like that unless there is an African in his path! You're my twin!"

Almost immediately, they began working on a collaborative effort to combine the two culturally distinct music genres. It worked.

"It began to feel as if the tunes were finding me as much as I was finding them. There was a bit of magic unfolding in the process," William said.

The record "BataMbira" received rave reviews and high praise from the "Dandemutande," a Zimbabwean music and culture magazine..

"That this album succeeds is a tribute to Williams' and Spiro's insight and determination to douse the deep currents that connect human music so far beneath the surface of our contemporary cultures," wrote the "Dandemutande."

Spiro and William's collaboration has left poignant memories.

"In the process, a record took shape, our understanding of the incredible depth of this music increased, and a deep and lasting friendship was forged," Williams said. "To this day, we call each other 'Twin.'"

BataMbria has been featured in Nathional Public Radio's "All Things Considred," "Afropop Worldwide" and Voice of America's "Music Time In Africa.

Winthrop is hosting a live performance of the BataMbira sensation that will feature six master musicians from Cuba, San Francisco, Montreal, and the Carolinas. The performance will be held Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Byrnes Auditorium. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $5 with a Winthrop ID.

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