The mbira was differentiated in its physical form and social uses as it spread. Metal-tined instruments traveled all across the continent, becoming popular among the Shona of Zimbabwe (from which the word mbira comes) and other indigenous groups in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. These types of instrument appear to have been invented twice in Africa: a wood or bamboo-tined instrument appeared on the west coast of Africa about 3,000 years ago, and metal-tined lamellophones appeared in the Zambezi River valley around 1,300 years ago. The tines were originally made of bamboo but over the years metal keys have been developed. Various kinds of plucked idiophones and lamellaphones have existed in Africa for thousands of years. Similar instruments were reported to be used in Okpuje, Nsukka area of the south eastern part of Nigeria in the early 1900s. Howard and Babatunde Olatunji have both suggested that mbira (and other metal lamellaphones) are thoroughly African, being found only in areas populated by Africans or their descendants. Other notable influencers bringing mbira music out of Africa are: Dumisani Maraire, who brought marimba and karimba music to the American Pacific Northwest Ephat Mujuru, who was one of the pioneer teachers of mbira dzavadzimu in the United States and the writings and recordings of Zimbabwean musicians made by Paul Berliner. Their arrangements included numerous songs directly drawn from traditional mbira repertoire. These musicians included mbira on stage accompanying modern rock instruments such as electric guitar and bass, drum kit, and horns. It was popularized in the 1960s and early 1970s largely due to the successes of such musicians as Maurice White of the band Earth, Wind and Fire and Thomas Mapfumo in the 1970s. The kalimba is basically a westernized younger version of mbira. Tracey's design was modeled after the mbira nyunga nyunga and named ''Kalimba'' after an ancient predecessor of the mbira family of instruments. Ī modern interpretation of the instrument, the kalimba, was commercially produced and exported by ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey in the late 1950s, popularising similar instruments outside of Africa. The "Art of crafting and playing Mbira/Sansi, the finger-plucking traditional musical instrument in Malawi and Zimbabwe" was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. It is often an important instrument played at religious ceremonies, weddings, and other social gatherings. In Eastern and Southern Africa, there are many kinds of mbira, often accompanied by the hosho, a percussion instrument. Musicologists classify it as a lamellaphone, part of the plucked idiophone family of musical instruments. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs (at minimum), the right forefinger (most mbira), and sometimes the left forefinger. Mbira ( / ə m ˈ b ɪər ə/ əm- BEER-ə) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. Finger harp, gourd piano, ikembe, kalimba, kilembe, likembe, likimba, marimbula, mbla, sansa, sansu, sanza, thumb piano, timbrh, zanzu
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