The mbira (pronounced /əmˈbɪərə/; also called kalimba and zanza) is a musical instrument traditionally used by the Shona people of Zimbabwe. It is made of a wooden board, often with a resonator, and has metal strips attached in a staggered pattern. Players hold the instrument and pluck the metal strips with their thumbs, right forefinger, and sometimes the left forefinger. Experts classify the mbira as a lamellaphone, which is a type of plucked idiophone. In Eastern and Southern Africa, many variations of the mbira exist, often played alongside the hosho, a percussion instrument. The mbira is commonly used during religious ceremonies, weddings, and social events. In 2020, the "Art of crafting and playing Mbira/Sansi" was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

A Western version of the mbira, called the kalimba, was developed and promoted by ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey in the late 1950s. His design was inspired by the mbira nyunga nyunga and named after an older instrument called kalimba. The kalimba became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, partly due to musicians like Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire and Thomas Mapfumo. These artists incorporated mbira into modern music, using it alongside instruments like electric guitar, bass, drums, and horns. Other musicians who helped spread mbira music outside Africa include Dumisani Maraire, Ephat Mujuru, and Zimbabwean musicians documented by Paul Berliner.

Joseph H. Howard and Babatunde Olatunji noted that mbira and similar metal lamellaphones are uniquely African, found only in regions inhabited by Africans or their descendants. Similar instruments were also reported in the Okpuje area of Nigeria in the early 1900s.

History

Many types of plucked idiophones and lamellaphones have been used in Africa for thousands of years. Early versions had tines made from bamboo, but over time, metal keys were created. These instruments seem to have been developed twice in Africa: a wooden or bamboo-tined instrument appeared on the west coast about 3,000 years ago, and metal-tined lamellophones were made in the Zambezi River valley around 1,300 years ago. Metal-tined instruments spread across Africa and became popular among the Shona people of Zimbabwe (from which the word mbira comes) and other groups in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. As the mbira spread, its shape and uses changed. Instruments similar to the kalimba existed from northern North Africa to the southern Kalahari Desert, and from the east coast to the west coast, though many African groups did not have mbiras. There were thousands of different tunings, note arrangements, and designs, but a possible original tuning and note layout of the metal-tined instrument from 1,300 years ago is called the "kalimba core."

In the mid-1950s, mbira instruments inspired the creation of the kalimba, a Western-style version designed by ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey. This led to the kalimba being widely shared outside Africa.

Acoustics

Lamellophones are musical instruments that have small, stiff tines, called "lamellae," which are played by plucking. These instruments are different from stringed instruments or wind instruments like flutes because the extra sounds, or overtones, produced when a tine is plucked are inharmonic. This means the overtones do not match the main pitch of the note, creating the mbira's unique sound. The inharmonic overtones are most noticeable when the note is first played and fade quickly, leaving a sound that is nearly pure. When one tine is plucked, the nearby tines also vibrate slightly, adding more complexity to the sound of each note.

Rhythm

Mbira music, like many traditions from sub-Saharan Africa, uses cross-rhythm. In the kutsinhira section of the traditional mbira dzavadzimu piece "Nhema Musasa," David Peñalosa explains that the left hand plays a repeating bass line, while the right hand plays the upper melody. Together, these parts create a combined melody that adds details to the 3:2 cross-rhythm, also called a hemiola.

Tuning

On African mbira and similar instruments, the lowest notes are often placed in the center, with higher notes on the far left and right. This design helps players use their thumbs to reach all the tines easily. However, traditional African tunings use notes that do not match the Western musical scale. These tunings are often unique, with some notes forming a scale and others breaking the pattern.

Historically, mbira tunings have not matched Western scales exactly. A seven-note sequence on a mbira may cover a wider range of pitches than a Western octave, and the spaces between notes may differ. Tunings have changed over time and vary between players. Each mbira produces different overtones based on how it is made, so some instruments sound better when certain notes are adjusted. As the mbira dzavadzimu became popular in North America, Europe, and Japan, Zimbabwean makers began tuning instruments more consistently for export, though many variations still exist in Zimbabwe.

Tunings differ between families, focusing on the relationships between notes rather than specific pitches. The most common tuning in Zimbabwe and among non-Zimbabwean players is Nyamaropa, which is similar to the Western Mixolydian mode. Different families may use different names for tunings. For example, Garikayi Tirikoti created a "mbira orchestra" with seven tunings, each starting on a different note of the same seven-note scale. These tunings are named Bangidza, Nyabango, Nhemamusasa, Chakwi, Taireva, Mahororo, and Mavembe (except for Mavembe and Nyabango, these names also refer to traditional songs). The tuning closest to Nyamaropa is Nhemamusasa.

Common tunings include:

• Nyamaropa (similar to the Mixolydian mode): Considered the oldest and most important in Shona culture, it emphasizes group music-making. It often uses two mbira players at once, along with singing styles like Huro (high, emotional notes) and Mahon'era (soft, breathy notes). A single mbira is not used alone in performances.
• Dambatsoko (similar to the Ionian mode): Used by the Mujuru family. The name refers to their ancestors’ burial grounds.
• Dongonda: A Nyamaropa-tuned mbira where the right side notes are an octave lower than usual.
• Katsanzaira (similar to the Dorian mode): The highest-pitched traditional mbira tuning. The name means "gentle rain before a storm."
• Mavembe (also called Gandanga) (similar to the Phrygian mode): Said to have been created by Sekuru Gora during a funeral. Some players disagree about its origin.
• Nemakonde (similar to the Phrygian mode): Has the same musical relationships as Mavembe but uses much lower pitches.
• Saungweme (flattened whole tone): Approaches a seven-note equal temperament system.

Variants

The mbira dzavadzimu, also called the "voice of the ancestors" or "mbira of the ancestral spirits," is a traditional instrument of the Shona people in Zimbabwe. It has been played for thousands of years and is used during religious ceremonies and social gatherings called mapira (bira). The mbira dzavadzimu can play over 100 songs, such as Kariga mombe.

A typical mbira dzavadzimu has 22 to 28 metal keys attached to a hardwood soundboard (gwariva) in three sections—two on the left and one on the right. To play the instrument, the right hand’s little finger goes through a hole in the soundboard, while the ring and middle fingers help hold the instrument steady. The thumb and index finger of the right hand strike the keys on the right side. The left hand holds the left side of the instrument, and the left thumb plays the two keys on the left. Some mbira have an extra key on the left side, played by the left index finger.

Small objects like bottle caps or shells ("machachara") are often attached to the soundboard to create a buzzing sound. This sound is important in traditional settings because it is believed to attract ancestral spirits. During performances, the mbira dzavadzimu is often placed in a deze, a calabash resonator, to make the sound louder.

The mbira dzavadzimu is very important in Shona religion and culture. It is used to communicate with ancestral spirits and bring their presence to the living. In some traditions, two people play together: one called the kushaura leads, and the other, called the kutsinhira, responds. This ritual is called the Bira. During these ceremonies, people ask spirits questions, and the music helps participants enter a trance, allowing spirits to influence them.

Albert Chimedza, director of the Mbira Centre in Harare, estimates that about 10,000 people worldwide play the mbira.

The mbira nyunga nyunga, which has 15 keys, was created in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, and was used for entertainment during social events. It was introduced to Kwanongoma College of African Music (now United College of Music) in Bulawayo by Jeke (Jack) Tapera in the 1960s. Two extra keys were added to make 15. The mbira nyunga nyunga is similar to the mbira dzavadzimu but has no hole in the soundboard. Its keys are arranged with pitches radiating outward from the center.

Zimbabwean musician Dumisani Maraire developed a numbering system for the mbira nyunga nyunga. The upper row keys are numbered 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, while the lower row keys are numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15. Maraire brought attention to the instrument in the United States when he visited the University of Washington from 1968 to 1972.

A lecturer at Midlands State University in Zimbabwe proposed a letter system for the mbira nyunga nyunga, but Maraire’s numbering system is still widely used.

Dutch composer Maarten Regtien used a mbira nyunga nyunga in his 2014 piece Daddy Mbira – Mbira Penguin Talks, blending electronic music with traditional techniques.

Other types of mbira include:
– Njari mbira: Has 30 to 32 keys and originated in Masvingo and Makonde, Zimbabwe.
– Nhare: Has 23 to 24 keys and was used in rituals to communicate with Musikavanhu or Nyadenga (God).
– Mbira matepe: Has 26 keys and originated near the borders of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Kalimbas, similar to mbira, were first documented in Brazil in 1723 as marimbas. They later faded but are now available in modern forms. In Cuba, African lamellophones and the Cajón influenced the creation of the marimbula, though its history is unclear.

The Hugh Tracey kalimbas are tuned in the key of G. Their notes are arranged with the lowest notes in the center and the highest on the sides. This layout makes it easy to play melodies and harmonies. Alternative tunings, such as C major or Middle Eastern scales, are possible because kalimba tines can be adjusted individually. Composer Georg Hajdu tuned a Hugh Tracey kalimba to the Bohlen–Pierce scale for a piece called Just Her – Jester – Gesture.

Related instruments include:
– Array mbira: A modern invention with up to 150 tines arranged based on the circle of fifths.
– Gravikord: An electrified hybrid of a harp and kalimba, inspired by mbira rhythms. It was invented in 1986 by Bob Grawi and is tuned in G major/E minor.

Examples of mbira-related items include:
– Hugh Tracey treble kalimba: An octagonal instrument spanning two octaves.
– Gaya Street Sunday Market, Kota Kinabalu: A location where similar instruments may be found.

In popular culture

The 1980 movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, which is set in Botswana, includes a character who plays the mbira, a traditional musical instrument.

In the 2010 video game Donkey Kong Country Returns, one of the main villains is named Krazy Kalimba. As part of the Tiki Tak Tribe, which is based on musical instruments, his design includes a crown that looks like the keys of a kalimba. He also plays kalimba music during a special song that helps him control animals.

On May 21, 2020, during Zimbabwe Culture Week, Google celebrated the mbira with a doodle. The doodle included a button that let users listen to and play the instrument. It also told the story of a young girl who learned to play the mbira. As an adult, she became a famous musician and inspired many young people to learn the instrument.

General references

• Berliner, Paul (around 1978). The Soul of Mbira: Music and Traditions of the Shona People of Zimbabwe. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Fowler, Andy (2020). Discover Mbira: Ancient Zimbabwean Trance Music. Mbira Magic.
• Fowler, Andy (2015). Unlocking Mbira: Chord Progression and System of Mbira Workbook. Mbira Magic.
• Gahadzikwa, Fungai; Fowler, Andy (2016). Traditional Mbira Song Book. Mbira Magic.
• Howard, Joseph H. (1967). Drums in the Americas. New York City: Oak Publications.
• Kwenda, Forward; Fowler, Andy (2019). Learn to Play Mbira: Traditional Songs and Improvisation. Mbira Magic.
• Mutwa, Credo Vusa'mazulu (1969). My people: the incredible writings of Credo Vusa'mazulu Mutwa. Johannesburg: Blue Crane Books.
• Tracey, Andrew (1970). "The Matepe Mbira Music of Rhodesia" (PDF). African Music. 4 (4): 37–61. doi: 10.21504/amj.v4i4.1681. (Note: this article is the original source of the Matepe song Siti, as played by Zimbabwean Marimba band Musango.)
• Tracey, Hugh (1961). The evolution of African music and its function in the present day. Johannesburg: Institute for the Study of Man in Africa.
• Tracey, Hugh (1969). "The Mbira class of African Instruments in Rhodesia (1932)". African Music. 4 (3): 78–95. doi: 10.21504/amj.v4i3.1439.
• Warner Dietz, Betty; Olatunji, Michael Babatunde (1965). Musical Instruments of Africa; Their Nature, Use, and Place in the Life of a Deeply Musical People. New York City: John Day Company.