The origins of the kalimba can be found in Africa where this instrument would have been invented twice: about 3000 years ago on the west coast towards Cameroon, as an instrument completely in wood with bamboo, rattan or palm blades, and there is about 1300 years old in the Zambezi where we find traces of it with metal strips.  

Kalimba is the name given by the ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey in the 1950s when he began to introduce in the West this musical instrument of African origin, called mbira by the Shonas ethnic group of Zimbabwe. The mbira is an emblematic instrument of the Shonas culture. This instrument has several names depending on the geographical area where it is used: likembe, sanza or senza in Cameroon and Congo, mbira in Zimbabwe and Malawi, lukeme, karimba in Uganda … The Europeans called it thumb piano or finger piano but It is under the name of kalimba that we now designate all the thumb pianos that are not traditional in Africa. Mbira remains the generic name used for traditional African thumb pianos.

The Kalimba is a percussion instrument that is part of the lamellophones

The kalimba is an instrument of the idiophone family which is characterized by a simple structure and which produces sounds thanks to the vibrations of the very matter that constitutes their body. It is a percussion instrument.

It is more precisely a lamellophone whose body consists of a wooden resonance box or a wooden board on which are fixed metal strips of different sizes and shapes clamped between two or three transverse bars. Each strip produces a note.
We can find from 5 to 6 lamellae for the simplest kalimbas up to more than 20 lamellae for the most elaborate.
The kalimba is easily transportable. It is played by taking it in both hands and vibrating the strips with the thumbs.

In Africa, the mbira is an instrument used by griots, storytellers, to accompany   songs and stories. It is also used by mediums to enter mystical trances and communicate with deceased ancestors. It is played at public gatherings such as ceremonies, rituals, weddings or in an intimate family setting when stories are passed on.

A musical instrument recognized for its cultural richness

The art of playing the traditional mbira in Zimbabwe and Malawi was inscribed in 2020 on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

On other continents, the kalimba is more and more famous and is spreading widely. Thanks to its soft and intimate sounds, it is used in “world music”, in music therapy, for meditations and even in musical awakening.  

We have in our store Boullard Musique in Morges and on our website more than 40 models of kalimbas to offer you. Do not hesitate to come and try them and find the one that resonates the most in you. You can also call our specialists who will be happy to advise you.  

Live the Music! And see you soon!

Now that you know the origins, find out how to play the Kalimba .