Marímbula Percussion – Music
The marímbula is an Afro-Cuban bass instrument derived from African lamellophones (thumb pianos). It provided the bass voice in early son ensembles before being replaced by the upright bass.
Construction
A large wooden box (resonator) with metal tines or tongues of varying lengths attached to one face. The player sits on the box and plucks the tines downward with the fingers, producing deep, resonant tones. The box amplifies the sound through its hollow body.
It is essentially an oversized version of the African mbira or kalimba (thumb piano), scaled up to produce bass frequencies.
Origins
According to Fernando Ortiz (via EcuRed), the marímbula is of African origin: the first ones were built by enslaved Africans from many regions of Africa. According to Wikipedia, it originated in Oriente Province in the 19th century. There is no fixed design: each musician builds it to their own taste, often with clock springs as tongues.
Role in Early Son
According to Wikipedia, the marímbula was one of the basic instruments of changüí and old son. The oldest surviving recordings are by Terceto Yoyo and Sexteto Habanero, from 1925. The marímbula played the bass role:
- It played repetitive, low-register plucked patterns that anchored the harmony
- Its deep resonant tones provided the rhythmic-harmonic foundation for the ensemble
According to EcuRed, in son groups the marímbula replaced the botija, but later the soneros chose the double bass, for its greater volume and harmonic possibilities.
Legacy
The marímbula's role, the bass that carries the groove, passed to the double bass and later the electric bass. See Bass.