Thumb Piano

Nuer and Anuak Tom (Ethiopia)

Ethiopia
Ethiopian

Wood and Metal
Collected in 1960's

Idiophone - Plucked - Lamellophone

The tom is a plucked lamellophone (thumb piano/mbira) used in the traditional music of the Nuer and Anuak ethnic groups of western Ethiopia. The instrument was also used in some pieces performed by Orchestra Ethiopia in the 1960s. This thumb piano tentatively attributed to the Shona peoples of Zimbabwe can be found in various cultures in sub-Saharan African. (See MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF AFRICA, by Huwiler) This "tom" consists of a double row of 22 metal keys mounted on a soundboard made from wood. Usually, the Shona Mbira is placed inside a calabash to get better sounds. The vibrato buzz of the bottletops on the metal sheet is considered “an essential part of the mbira sound, required to clear the mind of thoughts and worries so that the mbira music can fill the consciousness of the performers and listeners. The buzz adds depth and context to the clear tones of the mbira keys, and may be heard as whispering voices, singing, tapping, knocking, wind or rain”. (mbira.org)

Owner:
Catalog#: AF-IDPL-28

© Hartenberger World Music Collection