Bustu M’Tandari – Trad. African Karimba Song – On the 17/C Kalimba

Are you an advancing kalimba player? Consider this book, the 33 Intermediate Songs book for the 17-Note Kalimba in C. It has songs in five sections: classical music, African music, Americana, African American Spirituals, and Great Songs.

In a way, these five musical genres and periods flow, from one to another. Americana is a blend of Western classical music and African American music. African American Spirituals flow from Americana, African music, and classical music.

This is a unique offering in the world of kalimba literature. I am especially psyched about the nine traditional African karimba songs that have been arranged for the 17/C Kalimba.

Here is one of them – it was collected and notated by Paul F. Berliner, and it would have come to him from the Kwanongoma school tradition. This means that it comes to us through karimba master Jega Tapera (Bulawayo, Rhodesia, 1960).

And… if you know anythinig about the KARIMBA, you know that it is an entirely different instrument from the KALIMBA. And yet, the patterns of the old African songs do translate gracefully to the 17/C Kalimba. Check it out:

Bustu M’Tandari on 17/C Kalimba

Click on the title above for now, to take you to the video – the embedded video from YouTube isn’t working (for me anyway).

Trad. African Karimba Music on the 17/C Kalimba

This video presents the basic part and three variations, plus some improvised parts. The book actually has four more variations. And to help you on your way to playing this African karimba song, I invite you to play along with my backing track, made of guitars and bass:

The Backing Track so you can play along on your 17/C Kalimba.