The mbiras of Zimbabwe that I make are in the family of lamellaphones, musical instruments that have developed throughout sub-Saharan Africa over the past millenium.

The Zimbabwean mbira huru (big mbira), also known as the mbira dzaVadzimu (mbira of the ancestral spirits), pictured at left, is a handheld instrument with 24 to 28 forged metal keys wired to a wooden sound board. It is the official instrument of Zimbabwe. During colonialism the mbira was outlawed and the traditional music was in danger of being lost.

The smaller mbira I make, pictured at right, is called a karimba, or nyunga-nyunga. It was created in the early 1960's at the Kwanongoma Teachers College in Bulawaylo, Zimbabwe. Its purpose was to cross cultural boundaries and preserve traditional music.