The Onion Church, a pluralistic religious congregation, hosts an extraordinary indoor/outdoor event featuring the Masanga Marimba and Mbira Ensemble. Recreating a bira ceremony celebrated by the Shona people of Zimbabwe the ensemble gives thanks to ancestors and asks for their guidance. The instruments used in this ensemble include several Shona mbira dzavadzimu—a hand-held instrument with 22-28 metal keys which acts as a "telephone to the spirits." The music created by several of these instruments together is hypnotic transports the listener into a state of altered consciousness.

Through singing, dancing, or quiet meditation, audience members are invited throughout the ceremony to honor their own family members who have passed into the spirit world. At the end of this ethereal ceremony, the audience is treated to an outdoor concert of exuberant Zimbabwean marimba music celebrating the beauty and joy of the cycle of life.