By the 1930s it had made its way to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, other Caribbean islands, Mexico, and as far away as New York City.

The Cubans call it marímbula, and most of the other Caribbean countries have adopted this name or some variant of it: marimba, malimba, manimba, marimbol.

Both changüí and son genres developed as a result of the combination of African and Spanish musical styles and instrumentation.

[1] This was one of the many instruments imported from the Americas to Africa, which continue to be played to this day, in various forms and styles, particularly in the countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Ghana and Nigeria.

[citation needed] Currently, the instrument is regaining popularity among hip hop artists and mbira players, like Chartwell Dutiro and The Jolly Boys.