Koshi Chimes - there is a Kalimba to go with your Koshi Chimes!
Koshi Chimes- Representing the Four Elements with Musical Tones
We are surrounded by sounds, but most of them are just noise.
But, when we encounter tones of true resonance, it makes us more calm and even happier. Buddhists sometimes refer to sounds that help people “wake up” to the now, as 'Bodhisattva', a tool opening moments when true peace and presence is experienced.
Koshi Chimes are crafted to provide soundscapes that enchant your heart and free your mind. Handmade at the foot of the French Pyrenees mountains, the resonance chambers of Koshi Chimes are made from thin layers of veneered bamboo for rich sound quality and contain the 8 precisely tuned metal rods that play out the unique tones of each chime.
You may think of chimes as outdoor decorations, but Koshi Chimes are foremost used as intuitive instruments that can be played by people who have never held an instrument before!
We’ll talk more about how Koshi Chimes can be played with other instruments like the Hokema Kalimba, but first, let’s learn more about the elemental beginnings of Koshi Chimes.
Koshi Chimes - 4 Elements Water-Fire-Earth-Air
For centuries, the enlivening and therapeutic properties of healing tones have been used in the Chinese tradition of Feng Shui. This tradition calls the abrasive background noises of life “noise pollution” (traffic, construction, negative noisy neighbors, etc.) and states that everyone needs their own soundscape for positive energy flow.
Beyond restoring your good mood, the type of purifying sound energy created by Koshi Chimes can be used for a number of therapeutic applications:
- Sound Therapy
- Meditation
- Targeted Association Exercises
- Guiding Therapeutic Treatments
In Feng Shui, the elements of earth, water, air, and fire have intrinsic properties like colors, shapes, and sounds. Koshi Chimes each embody these elements through their tone sequences, which mirror the properties of their respective elements. Whether played individually or together, the harmonic properties of Koshi chimes help to increase levels of chi (positive energy).
Here’s a video of Koshi Chimes so you can hear for yourself! and decide which tone is right for you:
Koshi Terra
Embodying the element of Earth, Koshi Terra invokes the grounding energy of this element with the tone sequence G-C-E-F-G-C-E-G. Calming sound.
Koshi Aqua
This chime embodies the elemental properties of water through its tone sequence A-D-F-G-A-D-F-A. Inspires your thoughts to flow.
Koshi Aria
Air, the most free and ephemeral element, is represented through the tone sequence A-C-E-A-B-C-E-B. Air brings lightness and movement to your thoughts.
Koshi Ignis
Fire releases energy from wherever it is found. Koshi Ignis represents this element through the tone sequence G-B-D-G-B-D-G-A. Fire energy inspires greater levels of energy and enthusiasm. When you bring the fire tone into your life, expect excitement, transformation and an up-welling of greater energy for the people, places and things you love.
The tones of Koshi Chimes will take you to your happy place and can be combined with other instruments for a soothing solo exercise or a special experience with friends. The Hokema Kalimba in particular is a great pairing for Koshi Chimes, because they are specially made and tuned to match - and you can easily hold and swing your chimes in a gentle circle as you play the Kalimba.
Matching Kalimbas with the Koshi Chimes
Each of these instruments has a positive effect on creativity and playing them together increases the benefits. Whether playing for fun with friends or seeking relief from the stresses of life, playing a Kalimba with your Koshi Chimes creates a relaxing sound oasis for you to enjoy. 
The Kalimba is a traditional African instrument that originated around 1000 B.C. and was used by storytellers as they walked the long roads between villages. The Kalimba is a simple instrument: a board that acts as a sound box and differently tuned tongues that resonate in the box.
Today’s kalimbas have traded reed construction for metal and wood. Hokema Kalimbas are handcrafted from American Cherry wood sourced exclusively from German suppliers to ensure sustainability and that no endangered tropical wood is used.
Hokema produces a variety of Kalimbas that have different numbers of tongues (5-11) and can easily be tuned to play different notes. If the acoustic version isn’t your style, you can try our Hokema Electric Kalimbas (7-9) tongues) which can easily connect to your amp with a jack connection.
For those who always want to play together, there’s Hokema’s Twin Kalimba. Whether you’re sitting fact to face or side by side, each half of the Twin Kalimba has 9 tongues for you and your musical partner to experiment with.
