The Kalimba Song
life is sweet
The sun is shinin' - we're feelin' good
The garden's growing - just like it should
The kids are playin' out in the street
We all are happy - life feels so sweet
Our village spirit shows we have a lot
We're blessed and thankful for all we've got!
We all are blessed - we have a lot
So thankful for all that we've got!
© Richard Coffey - All Rights Reserved
What's a Kalimba?
The kalimba is basically a westernized younger version of the African mbira. It is frequently referred to as a "thumb piano". It was popularized in the 1960s and early 1970s largely due to the successes of such musicians as Maurice White of the band Earth, Wind and Fire as well as King Crimson and Pharoah Sanders. Mbira
About The Music
The simple percussion groove of this tune was created by hitting the palm of my hand on a short scrap of PVC pipe. It sounded better than using the sandal (as in the photo). If you cup your hand a bit, it has a somewhat more resonant sound and I thought it would be cool to use it in a tune... :-)
The kalimba track is once again compliments of the Casio Digital Piano "Other" patch bank. What's that expression? "The gift that keeps on giving" - yep, that sure is applicable - the Casio is freakin' amazing! The cup muted trombone track is "nuanced" with plunger work for the solo and the Gm Red Cedar Native American Flute jumps in for a solo as well...