The beauty and power of marimba

the bias tends to be towards either piano, flute, drums or even guitar.
This tends to limit our scope as to the diversity and range of other musical instruments that also demonstrate a great amount of musical richness. The bias also stems from the mere fact that some of these instruments have not been given the spotlight and also suffer some misconceptions from the society.
Marimba are one such instrument that has fallen prey to these misconceptions and so this week it is my delight to walk with a marimba expert, Andrew Mamvura, as he exposes us and sheds more light and insight into the beauty and power of this instrument.
Andrew Mamvura has taught music both on the local front and the international platform and he is also a recording artiste. As we speak, he will be realising his fourth album sometime next week.
Before we take the music ride, consider learning how to play this wonderful instrument which is very easy to learn, doesn’t need any power and so on.
The origins of marimba is believed to be in Mozambique, then at some point was modified to produce a Zimbabwean sound by adjusting the tuning system. The marimba is made up of a wooden keyboard, resonators fitted on stands. The resonators come in different types, some are made from pvc pipes, others from fibreglass.
The fibreglass type produces a richer sound especially for the low range instruments for instance, the baritone and the bass. Normally, a marimba has two major keys which makes it easier to learn and master the techniques.
Due to the advancement of technology we now have chromatic marimba which means that one can play in any musical key and any type of music. On a piano there are black and white keys that are positioned to provide working material for any player the movement of keys from the C key without skipping any black or white key to the next C gives us the chromatic scale or system and similarly there are marimba that are made in that fashion.
Generally, the marimba you will find within the schools and Zimbabwe at large are in the key of C major and G major.
A basic marimba set consists of the bass, baritone, tenor and soprano. Depending on the style preferences of different artistes the combinations can be varied to suit the desired sound.
The soprano marimba is compared to a lead singer because it carries the main melody of the song being performed.
If there are two sopranos the other one will ornament the melody which means add some extra melodies that complement the main or harmonies at a lower octave. It is pointless to have two soprano marimba that are playing the same thing.
The tenor marimba creates and maintains the rhythm of the song. This part of marimba playing must not be too stylish as this is the centre point that sustains the song.
If you have two tenors it is advisable to have one playing the chords and the other playing a simple rhythm using the alternating technique or the rolling technique. Alternatively, the two tenors can play a rhythm that is complementary where tenor A plays half of the rhythm and the other plays the other half.
The movement of the baritone also supports the soprano as this part is not rigid to the chord progression but can also play some kind of low range melodies.
In music terms the baritone can actually follow the soprano and create a good counter point. The bass, of course, will play the fundamental or principle notes of the given progression either C F G or G C D. With experience and skill the bass player can colour his rhythm with other relevant notes.
Marimba can be used to play any type of music depending on the dexterity of the artiste. The departing point has been the reproducing of mbira music on marimba, which has led to experiments with other genres. Nowadays marimba ensembles play jazz, classics, pop and so on.
This has led some established artistes to rope in a marimba instrument to become part of the band. Oliver Mtukudzi, Hope Masike, Willom Tight are but a few examples that come to mind.
Mamvura is a seasoned marimba player and tutor whose experience in both performing and training has seen him travel to various foreign lands to impart this skill. In Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands marimba are a passionate instrument that is well received and appreciated.
In some communities in Norway if you hear marimba ensembles playing you would think that you were in Mbare, so he says. Surprisingly, some of the music teachers there have mastered this instrument so much that they can even teach someone from Zimbabwe a few tricks.
While this is so in foreign lands we the custodians of this rich dynamic and exciting instrument need to rise to a place where we appreciate and embrace and obviously set the pace and standard.
It is left for the Government to also help in promoting this instrument in our schools, particularly in rural schools which are very disadvantaged when it comes to music programmes.
Music is an art of sound, let’s embrace the different elements that will create a better expression of who we are. Let the marimbas play!
For more information on marimba you can email Andrew on [email protected]
l Richard Kohola is a music critic and development expert and can be contacted on the following number 0772 38 2 871 or email rkayclassics @yahoo.com