Marimbula: description of the instrument, history of origin, device

Marimbula is a musical instrument common in Latin America. The origin of the instrument is associated with itinerant musicians from Cuba.

Marimbula gained fame and popularity in Mexico and Africa at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Around the same time, his sounds began to be heard in North America, in particular in New York. It was brought here during the time of the slave trade: the dark-skinned people took ancient traditions with them to the New World, among the numerous ones was the Play on the mirimbula. Slave owners liked the sound so much that in the second half of the 20th century they adopted the experience of playing the instrument from their servants.

Modern scholars classify the marimbula as a plucked reed idiophone. It is also considered a type of African tsanza. A related instrument, which is similar in both sound and structure, is the kalimba.

The device has several plates, it all depends on the area of ​​u5bu6buse. So, in Martinique there are 7 plates, in Puerto Rico – XNUMX, in Colombia – XNUMX.

However, regardless of the number of plates, marimbula makes mesmerizing sounds. For people from Europe, this is an exotic musical instrument, rarely found in everyday life.