Kevin Spears

Kevin Spears. (b. August 28^th, 1990). Jazz Kalimba artist from Atlanta Georgia.

Spears gained notoriety for bringing the ancient African instrument, the kalimba, into contemporary jazz and electronic music. The Kalimba or mbira has been played in Africa for thousands of years. The Shona people of Zimbabwe are noted for the use of the Kalimba in their music. It is made of a wooden box and metal tines that are tuned differently from family to family. It is played by the thumbs and is often called a thumb piano. Although it appears to be simple, it has many modes of playing and its scales and rhythms can be quite complex.

In Spears’ performances the Kalimba is central, but is augmented with modern technologies and other instruments.