The kalimba, often called the 'thumb piano,' is a modern version of the ancient African mbira. It consists of a wooden board or box with attached staggered metal tines. The player holds the instrument in their hands and plucks the tines with their thumbs. When a tine is plucked, it vibrates, and the sound is amplified by the wooden body. The mbira has been central to the Shona people of Zimbabwe for over a thousand years, used in 'bira' ceremonies to contact the spirits of ancestors. In the 1950s, ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey adapted the instrument for Western ears, creating the 'Kalimba' with a Western diatonic scale. This allowed the instrument to be easily used in global pop music. Its soothing, bell-like tone has since been featured in countless recordings and is a popular tool for music therapy and relaxation.