Kalimba

 Kalimba

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The Kalimba is a simple structure music instrument, also known as the finger piano or thumb piano. Kalimba was originally a traditional instrument of the African tribe. It uses a coconut shell or a wooden box with a piece of iron to vibrate and sound. The appearance looks simple, but the sound is fascinating and easy to use. The playing method is rich and varied, and it is held in the hands. You can play a unique ethereal sound with your hands on the keys! Kalimba.

History of Kalimba

Hugh Tracey was an english music lover who traveled widely in African countryside in the 20th century. He is the reason Kalimba is known and loved by people today. During his journey in Africa, he was exposed to many traditional African music. Kalimba   The uniqueness and beauty of traditional Kalimba   African music made him deeply fascinated. In his five years of African history, he particularly liked a musical instrument that was later called the “thumb piano”. These thumb pianos have many different shapes, tonalities, playing styles and names. They are called differently and played differently in each area. After learning about the instrument, Tracey decided to make the instrument himself and decided to use the name “Kalimba” – a name he believed could be widely spread in the West. At the end of the 1950s, he founded a company called AMI. AMI began selling and imported the Kalimba to the western United States. Over time, in the early 1960s, the Kalimba was slowly sold from the western United States to the eastern United States of New Jersey, and spread slowly. Kalimba

Resonant Box VS Flat Board Kalimba

Some traditional African thumb pianos are assembled on hollow wooden bodies (resonant box), but some are mounted on flat panels (flat board). Kalimba   The thumb piano with the resonance box is louder and can also be used to achieve a unique “wah-wah” sound effect by covering the sound hole behind it. Kalimba

Kalimba instrument – the Piano of Africa

 

Most people are familiar with the classic drumming of Africa, however less might recognize the delicate tunes of the African thumb piano – the Kalimba instrument.

About 3000 years ago, it was first discovered on the west coast of Africa, but soon went on to spread to the rest of this music delighted continent. Every different cultural group in Africa embraced it and made their own version of this elegant instrument, meaning the Kalimba instrument truly is an instrument deeply embedded in the African musical heritage. Kalimba Tabs

Originally made either from bamboo or wood, the tunes of the Kalimba instrument, meaning “little music”, traditionally used to accompany singing and dancing at religious ceremonies, weddings and social gatherings throughout all of Africa. Kalimba Tabs

Now a day every part of Africa has its own version of this amazing piece of instrument and the unique sounds have made western musicians embrace the Kalimba instrument as well. It all really started back in 1920 when English ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey moved to Africa and immediately threw his love on this wooden instrument.  Kalimba Tabs. He moved on to start to manufacture this distinctive African instrument himself and sold it to the western society that integrated it in their music. If you pay attention to some of the songs from popular artist like Genesis, Earth Wind and Fire and John Mayer, you will recognize that the Kalimba instrument not longer only belongs to the festivities in Africa.Got you curios about this piece of African music heritage? Try it for yourself, it is easy to get started and not before long you might be able to deliver native African tunes at your next festivities. You can find the Kalimba instrument in our online and in our store in Barcelona. It is made entirely from recycled coconuts and it gives you the perfect opportunity to inspirer your own inner musician.