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Walt Hampton. Hot Marimba: Zimbabwean-Style Music for Orff Instruments. Danbury, CT: World Music Press, 1995. 38 pp. Compact disc available.
Hot Marimba is a collection of pieces written for use in elementary and middle school music classes using Orff instruments as substitutes for instruments of the Zimbawean marimba ensemble. Although the music is not from Zimbabwe, Hampton's long experience studying and performing marimba music with Shona musicians and other serious students of the style allows him to create authentic-sounding works that are both educationally sound and appealing to students.
Hampton begins with a brief history of the marimba tradition in Zimbabwe and the growth of Shona music ensembles in the United States, particularly in the Northwest. He draws parallels between marimba ensembles with their various sized instruments and the mbira ("thumb piano") traditions, explaining similarities in style (multilayered composition, variety of size in instruments, etc.) and distinguishing between techniques.
Clear guidelines for teaching Shona-style music...