Mbira
The mbira is a family of African musical instruments. It is a type of lamellophone, an instrument with thin keys fixed to a board or box. Related instruments are also called sanza, sansi or kalimba in different places.[1]
Construction and sound
[change | change source]Most mbiras have metal keys attached to a wooden soundboard. A player holds the instrument in both hands and plucks the free ends of the keys with the thumbs or fingers. Moving a key farther in or out changes the length that can vibrate and therefore changes its pitch.[1]
Some forms are placed inside a large wooden or gourd resonator, which makes the sound louder. Small shells, rings or metal pieces may also be attached to produce a buzzing or rattling sound. Mbiras can have different numbers of keys and different systems of tuning.[2]
Use and tradition
[change | change source]Mbira music is especially important in Malawi and Zimbabwe. The instrument may be played alone or in a group. It is used for entertainment as well as ceremonies, funeral wakes, remembrance events and traditional healing. The knowledge of making and playing it has often been passed from older family members or teachers to younger players.[3]
In 2020, UNESCO added the art of making and playing the mbira or sansi in Malawi and Zimbabwe to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[3]
References
[change | change source]- 1 2 "Kalimba, or the "Thumb Piano"". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
- ↑ "Thumb piano". Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Art of crafting and playing Mbira/Sansi, the finger-plucking traditional musical instrument in Malawi and Zimbabwe". UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
Other websites
[change | change source]- Mbiras and Zimbabwean music at Smithsonian Folkways