kettle gourd thumb piano
This instrument carries with it thousands of years of African musical tradition. Called a kalimba, mbira, mbila, or marímbula (depending on the region in which it’s played), the first version of this handheld thumb piano originated in Africa over 3,000 years ago! Lightweight and portable, the thumb piano was the chosen instrument of traveling troubadours, who would retell the history of their tribe in song.
