The kalimba is one of the thousands of variations of the mbira. The mbira is a member of the lamellophone family of instruments and consists of a flat board onto which are mounted metal tines of various lengths. The tines were originally made of bamboo but about the year 700 the bamboo was replaced by metal strips. The tips of the tines are plucked with the thumbs. The mbira is sometimes referred to as a “thumb piano.”
The mbira is very common in the Democratic Republic of Congo and among the Shona people of Zimbabwe.
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