Cuban Marimbula

By Jon Griffin

Family

The Marimbula belongs to sansa family of idiophones that originated from the Bantu cultures of sub-Saharan Africa. The sansa instruments create sound by plucking or striking the metal fingers. Sansas also include the Kalimba or African thumb piano. Unlike the Kalimba, the Marímbula can be easily tuned and therefore used harmonically as well as rhythmically.