Karimbu Magic

I have just witnessed one of the most amazing reactions ever from Amazing Deepa. Today I introduced her to a little of Indonesia. I brought in an ‘karimbu’ – an ancient instrument which is made out of half a coconut shell, with seven metal strings, which can be flicked to produce a range of truly magical sounds. Sitting on a bright blue rocking dog, with only one eye, and felt material ears, Deepa moved backwards and forwards. She was mouthing the sounds which I was saying, but her tongue remained silent. I flicked a key producing a 'ding' from a paradise far removed from the stuffy room. Deepa immediately rocked forwards and placed her feet firmly on the floor, grounding her dog. I began initiating a series of 'dings'. Her head bowed forwards and ear tipped towards my hands. Her mouth grinned with a huge smile which quickly extended down her arms and through her fingers as she searched for the origin of this new sound. I continued to play as Deepa gently placed her hands on top of the keys. The thickness of the steel sent strong vibrations down through the coconut wood and upwards towards Deepa curious touch. Amazing Deepa appeared to be totally enthralled with the music. All of her senses were directed towards the sounds as I slowly manipulated the keys 'ding ding dang ding ding dang ding dang ding ding'. I wished I was an karimbu scholar. I thought about a far away friend called Zak and wished he were here. Zak is a musician with such skills that he can expertly invite dancing fairies and jumping pixies into the room through his skillful playing of the karimbu. Alternatively I just continued to ding and dang while Deepa leaned into my lap.

I guided her hands around the instrument – across the smooth polished shell and across the coloured dots of paint depicting an image impossible to feel and at this point impossible to describe. The dots creating two twisting snakes with the colours green, red and white. I passed the karimbu into her hands as she felt its weight and flicked the tips of her fingers across the keys. I pressed her ultra bendy thumb down, leaving a soft 'ding' in its wake. Her smile seemed to consume her entire being as her fingers began to gently press the keys.

Her amazing response reaffirmed that music appears to be the key to bring her into the World and the World to Deepa. Her attention was totally embedded in each sound while the music itself seemed to have an incredibly soothing and calming effect. I am left wondering how I can bring more music into the noise filled clutter of Sishu Bhavan where shouts, cries and raspy loud music blares out from a broken speaker.