Lamellaphone


BY PURCHASING THIS ITEM <= /b>*YOU* PROVIDE EMPLOYMEN= T FOR IMPOVERISHED SUB-SAHARAN COMMUNITIES AND *CONTRIBUTE* TO NGO GRASSROOTS = AIDS ORPHAN PROGRAMS

This item is purchased by = donating<= /a> to the fundraising programs of o= ur non-profit. The price is the min= imum donation for you to receive = ONE (1) handmade traditional musical instrument:
Fair Trade African Musical Instrument 5-KEY THUMB PIANO (MarImbA)= <= /o:p> Medium: calabash gourd
full description
Country:	South Africa	Made from a calabash (for resonance) with steel tines (lamella) on a wood base, this lamellaphone (thumb piano) is called a ‘marimba’; a name = more commonly associated with Shona xylophone style instruments. A traditional percussion musical instrument from South Africa, played with both thumbs = that pluck its metal keys, sells for more than $40 in the USA. We are able to offer them at mode= rate prices by contracting directly with the artisan at fair trade prices. A pers= onal instrument played quietly by the owner and not as one would think in a marimba band. Finely handcraf= ted from natural vegetation, variations in size, shape, and color from the generic listing photograph will occur. The instrument maker determines the length of the keys and hence tu= ne of the instrument. After manufacture, he plays it to tune and adjust the instrument. The tuning of most marimbas, with the notes= in the scale ascending on the tines from the center outward in an alternating right-left fashion, results in chords being made by adjacent tines. When = any tine is plucked, the adjacent tines also vibrate, and these harmonizing secondary vibrations serve a similar role to the harmonic overtones of a string instrument, they increase the harmonic complexity of an individual note, though in a strange yet pleasing way. The steel keys are tuned by adjusting forward or backward and/or adjusting the spring of= the tine. The calabash casing and wood base provide resonance. Ubiquitous throughout Africa with more than a 100 names including miramba, mbira, sanasa, kalimba, etc. There are hundreds of different tunings, different note layouts, and different instrument designs. Each one is an original work of art that you will be proud to own or gift. The thumb piano may be used to learn the rudiments = of this type of instrument and shows great as decorations. Décor uses: The musi= cal instruments have a leather tie and when not in use make a delightful wall= or standalone ornament/decoration that fits the décor of most homes and offi= ces. Displays well with cultural, music, or eclectic themes.= Gift: The marimba without a doubt makes an interesting a= nd different gift suitable for any occasion or celebration; a smart choice f= or those with musical talent wanting to learn a new instrument or music style that ‘hard-to-buy for’ or ‘who-has-everything’ person. Print this page to accompany the gift to the recipient who is thrilled to know the gift they received came to them by helping a good cause. Care: Wipe clean with a damp cloth. With minimal care, th= e marimba will last a lifetime and many subsequent generations.
Region:=	Gauteng
Artist:=	African Artifacts
Date:	2007 to current
Type:	Marimba
Medium:=	Calabash Gourd
Original:	Musical Instrument
Style:<= /o:p>	5- Steel Tine

Pictures:	generic

WE SH= IP WORLDWIDE
<= /o:p>
Nominal Dimensions and Data
height x width x depth (variance)=
inches	3 (+½) x 8 (+2) x= 5 (+1)
millimeters	75 (+12) x 202 (+50= )x 125 (+25)]=
Weight [Mass]	3.4 oz [96 g]

© Kwaze-Kwasa [US= A] Inc.
This is a general description of the artwork in our possession. Thus, data are approximate, even though there could be slight variations in size, color,= and shape from the accompanying photographs, the marimba you receive will be a very close match to the generic photographs. Satisfaction guaranteed! Sho= uld you be dissatisfied for any reason whatsoever, the product may be swapped= for a similar or any other product of similar or lesser value.
Your generous donation helps us provide sustainable employment to the impoverished communities and funding to their grassroots AIDS orphan programs<= /a>.
Africans enslaved in the Americas brought with them the tradition of making both the small and large forms of the thumb piano. The small type = once was widespread in parts of the Caribbean, South America, Central, South America, and the United States (one form, the so-called marimba Brett, was documented in Louisiana in the late 1800s). Over time, however, it become extinct except for in a few pockets such as Suriname, where a split-cane = type called papái bèntá continues to be made and played by the Saramaka people. The large box type (featuring anywhere from four to eight metal keys moun= ted on a packing case) has fared considerably better. It occurs widely in the Caribbean and in South and Central America under several names, including marímbula (Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Panama), manouba, manimba or mal= imba (Haiti), mento box, rumba box (Jamaica), and bass box (Trinidad). In those areas, the instrument provides the bass rhythm in folkloric ensembles. Th= ese musical instruments occur virtually throughout sub-Saharan Africa.=

BY PURCHASING THIS ITEM <= /b>*YOU* PROVIDE EMPLOYMEN= T FOR IMPOVERISHED SUB-SAHARAN COMMUNITIES AND *CONTRIBUTE* TO NGO GRASSROOTS = AIDS ORPHAN PROGRAMS