This CD fuses the traditional music of Cuba and Zimbabwe, creating a compelling, contemporary sound that will draw you into a magical world. The bata drums, played by Michael Spiro, are a family of 3 double-headed hourglass-shaped drums brought to Cuba by the Yoruba people of Nigeria in the 19th Century and used to accompany sacred ceremonies to the deities. The mbira (African thumb piano), played by Michael Williams, is an instrument of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. It has 22-28 metal keys affixed to a wooden soundboard and used as a sacred medium for communicating with ancestral spirits. With voice, flute and other percussion, these songs are original fusions of traditional songs to the spirits that guide the people of Zimbabwe and Cuba.