Kalimba/Tech Fusion | Kevin Spears | TEDxGreenville

A truly amazing performance by one-man sounding like many -  using a native African thumb-piano, the kalimba, and technology to give the audience sensory overload.

Hailed by many as one of the best kalimba players alive today, Kevin Spears has raised and rewritten what is possible on the traditional African instrument called kalimba. As a one-man ensemble, Spear’s mastery of the kalimba, customized musical gadgets, tiny synths and experimental percussion allow him to create live a fusion of world, jazz and folktronica that moves you’re feet and stirs your soul.

Not only does he perform, Kevin makes his own kalimbas, including an electronic version that he connects to a custom pedalboard he designed that would make any guitarist envious. It is amazing to see and hear how he takes a seemingly small instrument and squeezes so much sound from it, and perhaps this is the reason that he is often compared to musical legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock and Les Paul, among others.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx