Comment #2 Wednesday, December 21, 2011 10:52 AM
Great ! Can you play it? ... Thank you gevansmd for checking.
The mbira has been an important instrument in sub-Saharan Africa and has played a
part in African culture for 800 years. Although it can be a solo instrument, it is
more commonly used as an accompaniment to singers, musicians and dancers. It is not
uncommon for the native African instruments to allow solo harmonization, but typica-
lly, harmony in African music serves as a variation to the theme being performed.
Many versions of the mbira exist with tribes creating distinctive performance styles
and names for the instrument. They vary widely in appearance, size, materials, and
tuning from the smallest 6-note models of the Kalahari Bushmen, to the sophisticated
33-note instrument found in Zimbabwe. The name mbira is know throughout much of Africa,
but regionally, the name mbira is more commonly used in Zimbabwe, while the name Kali-
mba is used in Kenya, the name ikembe is used in Rhuanda, and the name likembe is used
in the Congo, while other names are bit less common such as sanza, sansa, marimba, ma-
rimbula, there are more generic names of finger harp, gourd piano, and thumb piano that
are often used in the west.
The mbira is also known as the thumb piano, because one's thumbs are used to pluck (or
more accurately depress and release) the metal strips (tongues or lamellas) that sound
particular notes. It is common for two mbiras to play together where one covers the me-
lodic accompaniment of the singer while the other plays the bass line (or bourdon).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb9qoEHLgVo Tinashe performs Mbira (YouTube)
Comment #3 Saturday, January 26, 2013 1:16 AM
Excellent! You have done a fine work in this Sound Pack. Thank you.
Comment #5 Friday, March 8, 2013 6:18 AM
Nice sounds , but the country name is Zimbabwe ....
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Comment #1 Tuesday, December 20, 2011 8:16 PM
I own one of these but it's rectangular and in the key of G.