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|  | | | | MBIRA: The African Thumb Piano | |
The Mbira is a musical instrument originally developed in sub-Saharan Africa. They have been made and played for over 800 years. Mbiras are constucted in a wide variety of sizes and styles that reflect local traditions and conditions. Here are photographs of the mbiras in the collection of the Multicultural Resource Center.
Basically, the mbira is a sound box with keys that are plucked by the thumbs as the instrument is held in both hands. The number of keys varies considerably in different styles of mbiras as are the materials used in their construction. Different tunings are possible. Individual artists often choose their own tuning preferences when they play the mbiras to accompany their performances.
The mbira can be played as a solo instrument, but it is more often heard providing harmony and percussion in the background of a musical or dance performance.
Just as the number of keys and tunings are variable, so are the materials that mbiras makers use. The body of the mbira may be a gourd or a wooden box. Modern mbiras are often made from metal cans of different shapes and sizes. Keys on the earliest mbiras were cut from cane or thin wooden strips. Tuning was possible by finely trimming or shaving the cane keys, or "tongues".
Metal keys are usually made from scraps of wire, spoon handles, or nails that are hammered flat before assembly. There may be as few as six keys or as many as 30 or more, sometimes mounted in rows atop one another, rather like the keyboards of a complex pipe organ. Longer keys make “lower” notes and shorter keys are higher pitched. Keys are plucked or struck separately or in simple harmonies.
The keys often have bits of wire or small strips of metal from tin cans wrapped around them to create an additional audio effect. The resulting "buzzing" sound is thought to enhance the listener’s concentration on the music. Some mbiras have snail shells or bottle caps attached to the sound board for the same reason.
The mbira is known by many other names throughout Africa. Rwandans call it an ikembe while in the Congo it is known as the likembe. Kenyans refer to it as the kalimba, which is also the trademarked name of a popular commercial version of the mbira now found worldwide.
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