Cup this cute little musical box in your palms and play the keys with your thumbs to create soothing and calming sounds. Yes, it’s as simple as that. Lalith Choyal, a Zenzula artiste, with his infectious energy creates on-the-spot musical moments along with the visitors to his stall at handmade expos across India.
Imagine being right in the middle of a cheerful clamor — an exhibition bustling with handmade and handloom arts. It could be the Dastkar Mela in Delhi, a handmade expo in Bangalore or just walking outside Jahangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. There’s the palpable excitement of teaming visitors and artisans, blooming displays of artsy products all around, and live music jamming in one corner of the venue. Amidst this crazy buzz and shopping frenzy, the comforting sound of a strumming instrument draws your attention. Like someone playing wind chimes with easy but definitive notes. As you walk closer to the source, you spot a stall with a young man holding a box-like instrument cupped in his palms. He sings and sways as he plays the musical keys with his thumbs to a random audience — bystanders, onlookers and visitors to his stall. Mind you, this is not just a demo but also his way of “musically” connecting with curious enthusiasts and replying to their queries. Interestingly, the instinctive jamming is so infectious that the visitors, who initially fiddle to explore the instrument, join in to create an impromptu melody in the moment. And that’s exactly how this writer gets introduced to Zenzula and its artiste-maker Lalith Choyal at A Hundred Hands Festival of Handmade, held in Bangalore a couple of months ago.
Zenzula – A Simple and Sustainable Musical Instrument
A cute little music box, aka thumb piano, Zenzula is a user-friendly instrument that anyone can play. Age no bar at all. One is amazed to see the way the instrument invokes child-like inquisitiveness among adults who try to get a handson feel of the keys producing sounds.
Inspired from an African musical instrument, Zenzula was first crafted in India around 2015 with used sardine tin cans exported by Singapore. Whether it’s the flat Cuban cigar boxes adorned with floral motifs or the regular shapes decorated with tribal-influenced art, each handcrafted piece is unique in itself. Made of recycled sardine cans, and steel spokes, the instrument sounds similar to a xylophone.
How it all Began
“A friend of mine, Jayvardhan Singh Bisht, met Andrew Masters of Roots Production in France, who is the man behind the Zenzula. Andrew has been making kalimbas, a westernised version of mbira, for more than two decades now,” explains Lalith who along with his friend are part of Roots Productions, which has the patent for manufacturing and selling the Zenzula. The steel spokes on the instrument are made at a workshop in Vashi, Mumbai.
To contact the artiste, click the link below.