Xylorimba

The xylorimba, also known as the xylo-marimba or marimba-xylophone is popular African instrument, but was also a bit hit in the vaudeville eras of the 1920s and 1930s. Here’s a demonstration of its five or more octave range.

As well as a traditional and jazz instrument, has also been popular with 20th-century classical composers looking to push the musical envelope. Here’s a more challenging snippet of Olivier Messiaen’s Des Canyons aux étoiles for piano solo, horn, xylorimba, glockenspiel and orchestra .

Igor Stravinsky, Alban Berg, Pierre Boulez, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, who heavily influenced members of Can and other so-called krautrock musicians, were among other composers who all wrote for the xylorimba. Due to its range, the instrument has also been used to interpret many other pieces of all genres. Here’s a Transformation of Pachelbel's Canon" by Nanae Mimura, performed by Kevin Hanrahan.