Ancient marimba Marimba

marimba players in africa

xylophones used in music of west , central africa. name marimba stems bantu marimba or malimba, xylophone . according western sources, word marimba formed ma many , rimba single-bar xylophone, use of term marimba and/or derivative terms not present in west african language. instrument present, called balafon or heri in mali and/or guinea, while known gyil among akan peoples in , around ghana. word marimba , derivative words used in east, central , southern africa. survey of literature on african marimba , related instruments, xylorimba, likembe , ilimba indicate relationship between word marimba , various lamellaphones found on central , east africa. other sources credit creation of marimba , kalimba queen marimba of wakambi people, live south of lake victoria. in shona language imba means song. kuimba sing. marimba, said mother of song , creator of instruments, including marimba. mama means mother in kiswahili, makes perfect sense word mother combined word imba unconjugated verb sing . karimba said have been created queen marimba. in of east & central africa karimba seen hand-held version of marimba.

marimba capitals of spanish america (1888)

diatonic xylophones introduced central america in 16th or 17th century. first historical record of mayan musicians using gourd resonator marimbas in guatemala made in 1680, historian domingo juarros. became more widespread during 18th , 19th centuries, mayan , ladino ensembles started using on festivals. in 1821, marimba proclaimed national instrument of guatemala in independence proclamation.