If you’re new to the Pacific Northwest, you would’ve probably been warned about the rain and the gloomy few months that come along with it.

But when multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter John Mambira found himself performing in the rain back in 2009 at the Oregon Country Fair, the gray sky only inspired him.

“When I just saw how people were appreciative, despite the rainy weather, it really inspired me to be in a place where people would accept the music without any conditions,” he told OPB. “It really inspired me to say, ‘I want to live in this kind of place one day.’” And so he did.

In 2015, the musician moved to Springfield, Oregon, and has now become a staple in the Eugene music scene. In addition to teaching workshops and touring, he has also become a familiar sound at the Oregon Country Fair.

The Oregon Country Fair takes place in Veneta on July 11-13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit oregoncountryfair.org.

During the 2024 edition of the fair, Mambira put on a high octane performance – an energetic part of the annual summer festival.

After the performance, Mambira sat down with video producer Rick Kent to talk about his musical journey to the Willamette Valley and the role Oregon Country Fair has played in his life.

(Mambira will not be performing at this year’s Oregon Country Fair.)

Below are excerpts from the interview, edited for clarity and length.

Rick Kent: Can you describe the kind of music that you play?

John Mambira: We want to stay traditional, so we call it Zimbabwean traditional music. But there’s an element of some reggae in it and some Afro jazz elements in it as well. So Zimbabwean traditional music in terms of using traditional instruments like mbira and just infusing it with other genres.

Kent: Your music has so much energy and spirit to it. Can you tell me what it’s like? How is it received out here?

Mambira: Oh, it’s amazing! It’s really amazing. I just find that people are so excited to hear something new. So with our kind of band that we are bringing in, just new energy and just authentic traditional stuff, people receive it really good.

When we play at the Oregon Country Fair, it’s more like everybody’s energy is already high, so I just receive a lot of love. People are just so loving and just accepting of anybody, including different ethnic groups. I love the energy here. People have high energy and are so positive and welcoming.

Kent: You were just telling me your history here at the Oregon Country Fair. When did you first play here?

Mambira: I’ve been a musician since I was nine years old, so it’s been a long time since I’ve been doing this. But I’ve been touring since 2005. I’ve been touring around the world with my old band, Bongo Love, which did pretty well. That’s how I found myself in Eugene because I was touring with that band. We just extended off as a band that plays Zimbabwean traditional music. And then as I grew, I got interested in other styles and I kind of branched out and did my own solo project. And this is what got me here to the John Mambira Band.

Kent: What year did you first play here at the Oregon Country Fair?

Mambira: I played at the Oregon Country Fair in 2009. It was amazing! It was a rainy day, but it turned out to be the most beautiful day. I actually appreciated it because where I come from, when it’s raining, people don’t show up. But when I played here first in 2009, everybody was out in the rain, dancing, and the energy was so high. That’s what actually made me fall in love with Eugene.

Kent: Is that what made you eventually move here?

Mambira: Yes, it did. It really inspired me. It’s also because there’s a big Zimbabwean community in Eugene as well. So I came a lot, just doing workshops and teaching locals how to play instruments.

There’s actually Zimbabweans that live in Eugene, so I just fell in love with that. I moved very far inland, and there are people from my own country that live in the same town, so it felt like I’m still home.

Kent: What does that Oregon Country Fair do for you and your soul?

Mambira: I take away that we as a people, we can be better. It’s so important for us to be in one space and from different cultures. We get to learn from each other. We get to understand each other’s cultures and each other’s backgrounds just through being in a festival where you meet somebody from a country that you’ve never been to.

So the most thing that I take away is just learning other cultures from other people. Giving yourself a minute to look at yourself outside the box and see yourself in a mirror and say, “I live like this. I’m like this with my culture, but how does another person live? How does another person live from a different culture?” That’s what I get a lot.

I hang out with different ethnic groups here. I can be hanging out with somebody from India. I’ve never been to India, but what I get is what he shares or she shares with me about their culture. And it’s a very important thing – we have to be humble enough to learn about each other’s cultures so that we understand each other as a people.

Kent: Why do you think the Oregon Country Fair in particular is an important thing?

Mambira: I think it’s because it brings people together. The Oregon Country Fair brings a lot of international music. You find African music, you find Indian music, you find music from all parts of the world. You find it in Oregon. I would say, in Eugene and Veneta, that’s when the world meets in one place. The world comes to meet in Veneta, Oregon, at the Oregon Country Fair once a year.

This story was written and reported by Prakruti Bhatt, edited by Jessica Martin and digitally produced by Meagan Cuthill, with photo by Brooke Herbert.

Since 1969, the Oregon Country Fair has been a tradition in Oregon. This week, OPB presents a five-part look at the fair’s history, art, environmentalism, music and overall unique legacy.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/06/26/oregon-country-fair-music-john-mambira/