By Beatrice Farb

Throughout the month of February, the San Francisco Public Library System (SFPL) celebrated Black History Month with its “More Than a Month” series.

The series recognized “the work African Americans have contributed to shape the lives and history of Black people and the societies in which they live,” according to the SFPL website. With performances, talks and community events, SFPL brought Black history to San Franciscans throughout the City.

As a part of this series, the musician Carl Winters – better known by his stage name “The Kalimba King” – performed one sunny Thursday afternoon at the Anza Branch Library for an audience of Richmond residents.

The kalimba, also known as the thumb piano, among many other names, is marked by long, springy tines, usually made of metal, attached to a base. The base is often made of wood, but at the event, Winters showed off kalimbas with bases made of coconuts and gourds as well.

Born in San Antonio, Texas, Winters began playing the kalimba as a child. He learned to play in the ’70s by listening to Earth, Wind and Fire songs, “which feature the instrument very much in a spiritual way,” Winters said. He mimicked the notes from the songs on his own kalimba. For the past 20 years, he has been teaching his self-taught skill at libraries across the country.

Winters started his performance by tuning the more-than-a-dozen kalimbas he brought. He tested each tine by pressing on its end with his thumb nails.

“Does anyone have a penny?” he asked. The tines of the kalimba, he explained, make higher notes when shorter, so the penny that one audience member offered was used to push the tine to a shorter length.

As a former kindergarten teacher, Winters brought a dynamic and playful energy to the room of Richmond residents both young and old. The performance included songs spanning the jazz, blues and gospel genres. One song, an original called “Jazz-A-Bet,” incorporated the names of significant jazz musicians into its lyrics.

In between songs, Winters taught residents about Black music history. For example, before performing “Amazing Grace,” he explained that, although the song is often credited to the captain of a slave ship John Newton, there is evidence that the melody comes from the people captive on the ship. Additionally, his performance included African cultural and geo-graphic history.

“Kalimbas were born in Africa centuries ago, around the 1500s,” he told the audience.

Winters pointed to a hand-drawn map of some of the many sub-Saharan countries, notably Zimbabwe, where the kalimba can be found. In these countries, he explained, the kalimba can be played during parties, political events, long journeys, for medicinal purposes and to call upon ancestors.

“It behooves you to know about other people’s cultures rather than just being inundated with your own,” Winters said. “I think that makes your world and your life a little bit richer.”

For more from the Kalimba King, visit kalimbaking.com. Go to SFPL’s website for more free events: sfpl.org.