Born into a traditional Shona family of the Mazumbakupa (Zebra) clan, Garikai started playing the Mbira Dzavadzimu at the age of 4. By the age of 7 he was already a well-regarded performer at local Biras (all-night ceremonies in which mbiras are played to call upon the spirits for healing, help, or guidance). Garikai has a very distinctive style and is regarded as an innovator of mbira music. After one of his ancestral spirits visited him in a dream, Garikari Tirikoti created his own unique mbira style to share with us.