In our ten years of performing together, we have grown comfortable playing any of the four marimba types. This is important to us because it has given us a very clear experience of what the role of each individual instrument is in relation to the ensemble.

Soprano
A 17 key instrument used largely for playing the melody of the songs. It is comprised of two octaves in C major with the addition of two F sharps.

Alto
This 14 key instrument is used to create harmonies through simple chord structures.

Tenor
The 11-key tenor provides a counter-rhythm and is often used for solo-playing within the marimba ensemble. It has a beautiful, warm tone.

Bass
This instrument with its 8 keys is used to produce the pulse or beat and is the backbone of the ensemble.

Mallets
Each marimba has its own specific set of mallets whose weight and size provide a particular quality of sound.

We play on 10 African marimbas - 3 sopranos, 3 tenors, 2 baritones and 2 basses. These marimbas are the unique design of the late ethnomusicologist and instrument maker Olof Axelsson who spent twenty years studying and researching African music and working closely with many musicians in Zimbabwe. This specific design is largely based on the timbila instruments made by the Chopi people of Mozambique. The band’s repertoire also includes such varied instruments as the mbira, hosho and drums.

Mbira (thumb piano)
This instrument is a very important to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and is also growing in popularity around the world. Its subtlety and beautiful cross-rhythms provide a more intimate feel to our performance.

Hoshos
This Zimbabwean instrument is essentially a gourd with seeds inside it, used as a shaker and often as an accompaniment to the mbira or other Shona music.

Djembe, Dun Dun and other Drums
The Djembe and Dun Dun are West African drums that have become popular all over the world and we use them together with dance and song.