This month, the Redmond Library hosts a live marimba performance featuring the Baduku and Bahuru marimba bands from Richland, Washington. The concert is Thursday evening, July 24 on the library’s civic patio. It showcases the distinctive sounds of African marimba music performed by two accomplished youth ensembles.
Redmond Library’s Elsa Hager coordinated the event. “It is exciting to showcase the work of young musicians, and we’re happy to bring live music to the library. Due to the Redmond Library renovation, we now have ample patio space for this performance, so we look forward to offering an outdoor concert to the public.” The newly renovated library is also double the size of the previous library and includes a DIY space, meeting rooms, and a children’s discovery area.
Baduku and Bahuru are both part of the Tri-Cities Steel Drum Band Association, comprised of middle and high school students. The groups maintain active performance schedules during the academic year and participate in national touring opportunities during the summer months.
The ensembles are part of a growing trend in American music education that brings world music traditions into school programs. Through their performances, the young musicians introduce African marimba music to audiences who might not otherwise encounter this musical tradition.
“All I really want for an audience to get from one of our performances is just to enjoy the music, on whatever level they enjoy music,” Director Walt Hampton explains. “Some people can follow rhythmic or harmonic complexities. Some people just like ‘the beat.’ Some like the melody or have no idea, but they like it. A lot of people find it refreshing (or even inspiring) to see young people doing something beautiful and group-oriented, instead of just staring at their phones.”
Understanding African Marimba
The marimba is a xylophone-style instrument with deep roots in Africa and South America. Zimbabwean marimbas are typically played in ensembles with each instrument adding its own voice to create rich, layered music. Traditional marimbas feature wooden bars mounted over hollow calabash gourds that create a distinctive buzzing, polyrhythmic sound when struck with mallets, though modern versions often use metal resonator tubes of varying lengths instead of the natural gourds.
African marimba produces what musicians describe as a “big, rich, earthy sound” that differs significantly from other percussion instruments. The wooden bars generate warm, full-bodied tones that create a unique auditory experience. This instrument serves as the foundation for music that spans from traditional Zimbabwean compositions to contemporary arrangements.
Blending Traditional and Contemporary Sounds
Hampton brings 34 years of public-school music teaching and a passion for percussion in guiding both marimba ensembles. While he’s known around the region as a guitarist with bands including The Knockdowns and Groove Principal, percussion remains his first love. His performance background spans everything from symphony orchestras to jazz groups and rock bands across the Pacific Northwest. Hampton has become a go-to resource for marimba education through his published works, “Hot Marimba” and “Marimba Mojo,” which adapt African music for elementary school programs and have helped shape marimba teaching in schools. “I like seeing the audience’s reaction to the music,” Hampton says. “It’s unlike anything else they’ve heard, and people find it fascinating. I’ve played songs a million times over the years, but watching the kids and the audience enjoy the music is very satisfying.”
This article appears in Source Weekly July 3, 2025.
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