Machena

Boka Marimba is a ten-member dance band that plays exhilarating, energetic music from Zimbabwe and other areas of southeastern Africa. Much of the music consists of melodic themes layered in polyrhythmic, cyclic patterns. Together these themes create a kaleidophonic sound with melodies calling and responding to each other. The band's instrumentation consists of seven marimbas (three sopranos, two tenors, a baritone, and a bass), gourd shakers called hosho, mbira ("thumb piano"), and drums. The songs are sung in the Shona language. In Shona, boka means "group." Marimba is the plural of rimba which means "wooden voice."