The kalimba is a musical instrument from Africa, which belongs to the family of lamellophones. Based on its appearance it seems to date back from 1000 BC. That would involve models with bamboo reeds.
Kalimba's most common names are sanza, likembé, thumb piano. Its cradle is basically the central and southern Africa, but it's also seen in the south of the continent. A kalimba is also discovered in South America and the Caribbean, where slaves imported it (see marimbula of Cuba).
The instrument, called likembé in this case, used to be the basis to support the Zairian rumba in the 1950s. See Antoine Moundanda, Papa Kourand and more recently the brothers Makouaya. *In Zimbabwe, the traditional M’bira is an instrument of mystic trance, used to contact the dead ancestors (see Shona Music *).
That's also the instrument of night watchmen and storytellers and used for walking from village to village.
It's said in Bantu mythology that God created the minerals, plants, and animals, playing the thumb piano, and all living beings lived together in perfect harmony. Then one day, His instrument being detuned, unluckily, when He played, sprang a false note which gave birth to man.
Then, the man multiplied and perpetuated the disharmony which was his origin. It seems that perhaps we have to bring some harmony to this troubled world, and the kalimba can help us!
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