Mbira

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BY PURCHASING th= is item YOU<= /i> PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR impoverished SUB-SAHARAN communities and contribute to ngo grassroots AIDS orphan programs

Purchasing this item, you receive ONE (1) handcrafted:

Indigenous African Musical Instrument

THUMB PIANO (MBIRA) 5-Key

Shona Tribe, Zimbabwe

The generous donation from you helps us provide sustainable employment and fundi= ng of grassroots AIDS orphan programs.

height x length x width (variance= )

inches

2¼ x 5 x 4⅞(+= 1)

millimeters

56 x&nbs= p;126 x 122(+25)

Weight / Mass

3 oz / 85 g

Product Description and Details<= /p>
Pictured is a generi= c handmade Mbira. Known as ‘Mbira’ in Shona, this superb example of African talent is t= he bottom of the range made for children and those learning to play Mbira musi= c. Hand made from dried calabash gourds and decorated by burning patterns on t= he shell and tine base, no two are alike. The traditional percussion musical instrument, played with both thumbs that pluck its metal keys is unique to Shona indigenous music. Variations of the instrument are ubiquitous through= out Africa with more than a 100 names including marimba, mbira, sanasa, kalimba, etc. Add and play an indigenous musical instrum= ent to one's musical repertoire!!= = Also makes an interesting home décor decoration.

From Zimbabwe, = this calabash case, wood base, and steel tines genuine thumb piano sells for mor= e than $30 in the USA. The instrument maker determines the length of the keys and hence tune of the instrument. After manufacture, he plays it to tune and ad= just the instrument. This type of mbira is a personal instrument played by the o= wner quietly and not as one would think in a marimba band. The steel keys (tines) are tuned by adjusting forward or backward and/or adjusting the spring of t= he tine. The calabash casing and wood base provide resonance. Fair Trade prices for Kwaze-Kwasa [USA] Inc in Mbare Msika, Harare from sustainable and renew= able resources to raise funds for the grassroots AIDS projects in Zimbabwe.=

Although best k= nown for their stone sculpture, the Shona Tribe of Zimbabwe has a rich artistic heritage that includes music and musical instruments. In Shona culture, the player graduates to play the mbira dzavadzimu (‘voice of= the ancestors’, national instrument of Zimbabwe), a musical instrument that has been played by the Shona people of Zimbabwe for thousands of years. The mbi= ra dzavadzimu (special order) is frequently played at religious ceremonies and social gatherings called mabira. The traditional musical repertoire of the Sho= na is largely based on a unique system of harmonic progressions; melodic themes = and variations layered in polyrhythmic, cyclic patterns. One of the most fascinating music traditions of Bantu-speaking Africa= , an evolution reaching far back into pre-colonial times and, therefore, transcending the ethno historical horizon of written sources. These musical instruments occur virtually throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Varieties of indigenous names exist and they are played as part of an ensemble of indige= nous instruments like the xylophone style marimba.

Individually handcrafted by artisans at = fair trade prices for Kwaze-Kwasa [USA] Inc in Mbare Msika, Harare from sustaina= ble and renewable resources to raise funds for the grassroots NGO AIDS projects= in Zimbabwe. Definitely adds to an African, music, or eclectic decorati= ve style or collection. Without a doubt, this ethnic musical artifact is a suitable gift for any occasion or celebration; a smart choice for that ‘hard-to-buy for’ or ‘who-has-everything’ person.If stock qua= ntity is zero, this particular item is sold out. Being original African crafts made from natural, renewable, and sustainable vegetable, we leave the item active (wi= th zero quantity) so that you may appreciate the artisans’ repertoire. In addition, these African tradition= al instruments are made all the time even though the calabash is a seasonal it= em. Always available, backorders can be processed quickly.

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 widesprea= d in parts of the Caribbean, South America, Central, South America, and the Unit= ed 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 contin= ues to be made and played by the Saramaka people. The large box type (featuring anywhere from four to eight metal keys mounted on a packing case) has fared considerably better. It occurs widely in the Caribbean and in South and Cen= tral America under several names, including marímbula (Cuba, the Dominican Repub= lic, Panama), manouba, manimba or malimba (Haiti), mento box, rumba box (Jamaica= ), and bass box (Trinidad). In those areas, the instrument provides the bass rhythm in folkloric ensembles. These musical instruments occur virtually throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Varieties of indigenous names exist and they= are played as part of an ensemble of indigenous instruments like the xylophone style marimba.

= ;

BY PURCHASING th= is item YOU<= /i> PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR impoverished SUB-SAHARAN communities and contribute to ngo grassroots AIDS orphan programs


height x length x width (variance= )
inches	2¼ x 5 x 4⅞(+= 1)
millimeters	56 x&nbs= p;126 x 122(+25)
Weight / Mass	3 oz / 85 g