Monochords, Kalimbas, Koshi & Zaphir Chime & Gong Drums– Handmade Sound Healing Instruments
Sansula On Stage with Jazz! Featuring violinist Gwen Laster and the Travelguides jazz ensemble
Gwen Laster and her Jazz Ensemble captivate by adding Sansula to their musical interludes
World Renowned Jazz and experimental violinist Gwen Laster incorporates the Sansula into her live onstage performances. Originally trained as a classical violinist, Gwen is an adventurous composer, arranger and orchestrator with a deep appreciation for America's musical history, and a scholar of African- American musical heritage.
In this highlight video, Gwen plays free-form improvised musical interludes on the Sansula by Hokema together with her fellow instrumentalists to create a sense of space and expanded time between her more thorough-composed compositions.
Sansulas and other intuitive instruments from WE PLAY WELL TOGETHER can be incorporated into the repertoire of professional musicians in a variety of contexts. Kalimbas are based on the Mbira from Zimbabwe and are one of the world's oldest instruments. Variations of them can be found throughout the continent of Africa. With a kalimba mounted on a drum head to amplify the sound and create acoustic sound effects, Sansulas are so easy and fun to play. They introduce extra creativity to any musical act without having to study a whole new instrument as they can be picked up by anyone and intuitively played. We hope you enjoy highlights from Gwen's recent performance along with her thrilling violin playing.
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In this video Gwen Laster appeared on stage at the KuBe Arts Center in her hometown of Beacon - located in the Hudson Valley New York State (located about 90 minutes north of New York City) as part of the Beacon Bonfire Arts Festival in November 2023. Gwen performed alongside her husband Damon Banks on Bass, Mani Kosh on keys, and Harvy Wirht on drums - making up the band TRAVELGUIDES.
Gwen Laster's music and playing is poignant, descriptive and always relevant. Perhaps that's why she has recorded and performed with the world's most influential artists. The list reads like a “who's who” of modern masters: Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Alicia Keys, Rhianna, Shaggy, Aretha Franklin, Solange, Mark Anthony, J Lo, Shakira, Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole, Anthony Braxton, Nona Hendryx, Wadada Leo Smith, William Parker, Danny Elfman, Sun Ra Arkestra, Tyler, the Creator, Emeline Michel and Andrew Baba Lamb.
Learn more about Gwen Laster and follow her on Instagram: @lastergwen
Gwen is playing the Sansula Deluxe in its default A-minor tuning. The 9-note Sansula comes in 3 varieties: Basic (with a paper drum head) Renaissance (with a synthetic drum head created by Remo) and Deluxe (a goat-skin head which makes every instrument unique in appearance.) We offer them in 4 tunings to match our Elemental Soundscapes Sets: A-minor (Air), D-minor (Water), G-Major (Fire) C-Major (Earth) and F-Major (matches our F-monochords.) There is also a 11-note Sansula Renaissance Melody which offers a G-Major diatonic scale. All our Sansulas can be custom-tuned to other unique scales however using the Hokema Kalimba Tuning Tool.
Shop the different Sansulas and Accessories: Bags, Book and Tuning Tool.
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This instrument sounds beautiful, is well-made, and is the perfect addition to my sound healing toolbox. Thank you!
I love this instrument! I love how it sounds and how easy it is to play!
Shipped fast. I am so glad I was able to find this little tool here after looking everywhere.
Enjoying my Monolini G thoroughly. I have a D Monolina and the addition of the Monolini added another dimension to my playing experience. The D has a rich, grounding tonality and the G compliments that richness with bringing what feels like (to me) a richer expression, adding another range of subtlety and overtones. Beautiful!
Sounded utterly enchanting right out of the box!
D
Zaphir Chime D-minor we ordered the wrong color The tones of this chime are beautiful. I have it hanging where I can walk by and play it often.
The items arrived in a timely fashion. Thanks for a smooth transaction!
the craftsmanship, (and craftswomanship) is incredible, and her sound. so resonant and otherworldly. I'm so happy with my new Monolina in G. I can't wait to play her for my community. Thank you Gabriele for your outstanding customer service.
This has such a lovely sound! I can’t wait to start learning how to play!
A few years ago I became casually interested in the Kalimba because of its simplicity of design and playability. Without experience or a good point of reference I needed to taste a lot of flavors to sort out the choices. For a while, my discards kept the local Goodwill store supplied with inventory.
The feeding frenzy stopped when I discovered Hokema. Build and material quality is professional grade. The tines are not stiff, so you can play at any intensity without stressing a thumb nails. Resonance from the solid wood base and the resulting sustain are simply stunning. Even the high notes sing, unlike the flat 'tapping an aluminum pan' sound from my discards.
I first purchased the B-17, and later the smaller B-17 Mini. Comments above apply to both. There is no problem holding, playing, or carrying around either instrument. The Mini's smaller footprint might be more comfortable for small hands. I just like the smaller package. Because the B-17's wood block is wider, it has more space between the tines. Both instruments appear to use the same tine assembly materials, but the Mini has a shorter cross bar. The Mini's tine spacing is grouped, but they can be adjusted to make the spacing more uniform like the B-17. In that mode, even with the smaller block the tine spacing is noticeably wider than some other Kalimbas I've tried. My thumbs are average width for a 5'8" person and my nails are normally rounded (not pointed), and I have no trouble playing individual notes.
Tablature is available around the net for 17-key Kalimbas (RiffSpot has a nice ebook), so you can play tunes without reading music on both the B-17 and B-17 Mini.
Hokema kalimbas are as nice sounding as any I have ever heard. WPWT provides fast shipping and quick responses to inquires.
Enjoyable to use and very good quality for more percussive techniques.
These chimes are exquisite, and We Play Well Together is a great company to purchase from.
Highly recommended!
I have a Monolina for my Sound Healing practice, but wanted a monilini for myself. I am so happy with my purchase. It is perfect!
I bought a Sansula deluxe at We play well together. The service was exceptionnal and I received it within 4 days. The Sansula's sound is simply magic. So rich and vibrant. It creates an ambiance of it's own.
Really happy and satisfied about this purchase.
I just took the week-long monochord training with Joule and fell in love with my Monolina. Joule is a fun, engaging and knowledgeable teacher who brings deep reverence to her instruments and the art of playing them. We got to experiment with and experience all the different ways of expressing through our monochords and came away with a proven, complete and beautiful 45-minute session we can now offer. I highly recommend this class.
Quick delivery, wonderful company and lovely instrument!
It is always a pleasure to speak to Gabriella and her customer service is top notch
this set is legit sounds like little angels 😇
I am new to the Monolina world but have been around stringed instruments all my life. I'm so excited about its possibilities as a solo instrument for use in Reiki, as well as in an ensemble setting. It helps me to meditate as well.
R
Used Monolina XL Low C We have a full set of crystal bowls, and the low C monochord adds a wonderful depth to their sounding. I also find myself humming/singing over the low C drone in a quite natural way. Very happy with my new instrument.
I've wanted to purchase a Sansula ever since I first heard one, two years ago. I finally purchased one and upon receiving it was disappointed in it's sound. Customer service was extremely helpful and promptly replaced it. Couldn't have been a better experience. I highly recommend the instrument and the company is top notch.