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Mark Holdaway

Nadi Qamar and his “Mama-Likembi” Kalimba from the 1970s

Ready to Have Your Kalimba Mind Blown? Nadi Qamar was an African American who pioneered the use of neo-traditional Kalimba in the 1960s and 1970s. A jazz pianist by training, Nadi made a fantastic album of kalimba music on an instrument of his own design, the “Mama Likembi,” in his own tuning. Listen to it through the YouTube embed above. The tuning is a Middle-Eastern sort of tuning. Sometimes he plays it more like a pentatonic kalimba. Since his instrument was an amalgam of several different kalimbas, they may have had different tunings? Neo-Traditional Kalimba? By neo-traditional, I mean that even though the instrument was not a traditional kalimba in

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Blog
Mark Holdaway

Feel the Music Vibrations in Your Body

  These two kalimba models have massive wood bodies. The massive bodies mean they will not be as loud, but the vibration of each note will last longer. I have customers who absolutely love these massive kalimbas because they facilitate really feeling the vibrations. That could be feeling the vibrations in your hands… or a friend, partner, or client feeling the vibrations in their body as you lay the instrument on their back or chest and play for them. The Magadi M17 is the economy model – lets say, roughly 75% as good as the B17, but about 30% the cost… a great value! The Hokeme B17 is a great

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Blog
Mark Holdaway

Pre-order “Volume II * 365 Days to Kalimba Mastery” for 17/C Kalimba, at half price

I expect Volume II of this groundbreaking guide to kalimba playing will be available for download Oct 30 2022. You can pre-order it now for  half price at $6. If you haven’t already done so, check out Volume I of “365 Days to Kalimba Mastery”. Why You Need This Book Well… get Volume I first, and if you learn so much that it transforms your kalimba playing, you obviously need to get Volume II. It will be available as two different PDF files: a narrow version that is perfect for viewing on your phone, and a “double wide” version that has left and right facing pages displayed together – which

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Blog
Mark Holdaway

Now Available: Hard Copy of “Kalimba Americana for Alto Kalimba”

I wrote the “Kalimba Americana for Alto Kalimba” in the summer of 2019. Until now, it has only been available as a PDF download from Kalimba Magic. Now, you can purchase the “Kalimba Americana”  book from Amazon for $12. Or you could purchase Kalimba Americana from the Kalimba Magic Shop for $12. Want to learn more about the Kalimba Americana collection? Kalimba Americana for Alto Kalimba

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Blog
Mark Holdaway

Get Hard Copy of “Kalimba Americana for 17-Note Kalimba in C”

I wrote the “Kalimba Americana for 17-Note Kalimba in C” in the summer of 2019. Until now, it has only been available as a PDF download from Kalimba Magic. Now, you can purchase the “Kalimba Americana”  book from Amazon for $12. Want to learn more about the Kalimba Americana collection? Kalimba Americana for 17-Note Kalimba in C

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Blog
Mark Holdaway

New Book: Advanced Christmas Carols for the 17-Note Kalimba in C

Now Is The Time to Prepare Your Christmas Carols if you want to play them in December! This book of 20 arrangements of advanced Christmas carols for the 17-Note Kalimba in C is great for the person who has been seriously playing kalimba for a year or more. This 48 page book provides the tablature for arrangements of Christmas carols as performed by Mark Holdaway. A QR code will quickly link you to the web page with the sound recordings for each song in this book. Available as a hard copy book. Available as a PDF download. The book includes these carols: Angels from the Realms of Glory Angels we

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Blog
Mark Holdaway

Can You Help Spread the Word About Kalimba Magic?

Can you help spread the word about Kalimba Magic? This is my moment of need, and I am reaching out to you because I believe you have benefited from what I do: Kalimba Magic. You may have benefited from one or more of our kalimbas… a Hugh Tracey, or a Sansula, or a Goshen? A SaReGaMa tuning? A karimba? A Magadi kalimba? Or one of the new Chinese 17-Note or 10-Note Kalimbas? You may have benefited from one or more of the 100 kalimba books or ebooks I have written for various kalimbas and musical genres. You have almost certainly benefited from the kalimba tablature that I invented in 2004,

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Blog
Mark Holdaway

Kalimba Gifts for Graduation

A kalimba is a great gift, especially for young graduates who could use a little nudge in the direction of wonder! Save 30% on Kalimbas Through June 5 2022 with Code KalimbaGrad When you get a gift for someone graduating school, you want something beautiful. You want something that opens doors into new futures, new possibilities, new worlds. You want something that they can grow into. You want something that is meaningful and open ended. You want to get something that your graduate can make their own. And you want to gift them something that also reflects your values. What values might you bring with your kalimba gift? Peace =

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Blog
Mark Holdaway

Kalimbas: Constructive, Educational Summer Fun for Kids 6 and Up!

This summer, instead of letting your kid’s cell phone instruct them in the way of video games… maybe it is time for your kid to get a kalimba and begin their kalimba journey? Playing kalimba exposes your child to new cultural and musical ideas. Playing kalimba promotes independence, as your kid goes off and figures it out. Playing kalimba calms your kid down, as they focus in on this sweet little musical instrument. Playing kalimba is good for the brain, promoting right – left collaboration and hemispheric balance. My rule of thumb for kalimbas and kids is: one tine per year of age. There is a lot of slush in

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