The Nuru Taa African Musical Idiom: Played on the Mama-Likembi

Musician Nadi Qamar presents six original compositions played on the Mama-Likembi, an instrument he designed and named that consists of a grouping of African thumb pianos to be played with the fingers rather than the thumbs. The thumb piano originated in Africa, a continent known for percussive instruments, and is nicknamed by some as a thumb drum. Qamar, a jazz pianist, “draws from many sources to project a contemporary Black expression,” as he writes in the liner notes; they include African, Asian, and jazz musical influences. This is the last of Qamar’s four recordings for Folkways.

Track Listing

101	After Glow	Nadi Qamar	02:17
102	Ode to the Shrines of Buddha	Nadi Qamar	09:24
103	Australian Seascape	Nadi Qamar	05:26
201	Tribute to Art Tatum	Nadi Qamar	04:48
202	California Sutra #2	Nadi Qamar	08:02
203	Earth Quintessence	Nadi Qamar	02:57