African Music – The Blog of Samite

Posts Tagged ‘panpipe’

The purpose of African Wind Instruments is quite different from the musical instruments of the United States and Europe.

In Africa, musicians do not seek to produce a lyrical and melodious sound that is always pleasing to the ear.  There is a message in the music of Africa that is conveyed through the centuries from this second largest continent in the world.

The most commonly used instrument in World Music is percussion.  Whether it is a drum, rattle, bells, clapper or rattle, percussion speaks a language that bridges the many cultures and the 50 countries which comprise the African continent.

Wind instruments are not as prominent as drums in the music of this culture.  Their construction incorporates all natural materials made available by nature and produce a more subtle sound.  For example, some wind instruments are made from conch shells, animal tusks and horns or wood and gourds.

Pre-made musical instruments can be very expensive to buy in Africa so from an early age children are taught how to make their own.  In addition to the elements found in nature, children construct wind instruments from household items like pipes or even corn stalks.

As the sound of air passing over the material changes with the material itself, wind instruments in Africa have a very unique tonal quality.  Whether it is an ocarina, oboe, panpipe or whistle, these instruments add to the complex nature of the music.  Virtually anything can be used to create a wind instrument, even a can of soda pop.

Because traditional African music is not passed down in writing in the way music composition is passed to the next generation in the west, the instruments create patterns to the sound which are altered by the tone of the language.  It is the pattern of the music and African Wind Instruments that gets carried forth through the generations.

Diversity in African music instruments is what gives them their unique sound quality. African instruments include a range of string and percussion devices with cultural and religious significance.

Here are some typical musical instruments from Uganda:

Kikuyu:  This is a type of fiddle made from a gourd.   In Africa children often make their own instruments and they are taught how to do this from an early age.  It is not uncommon for four year olds to make instruments for themselves and this is something they can handle.

Engalabi:  A traditional percussion instrument resembling a long, small drum.  It has a reptile skin that is nailed to the wooden frame.  Lately the Ugandan government has discouraged the practice of using reptile skin but the tradition continues.  This instrument is played with bare hands.

Enkwanzi:  A panpipe also called an oburere.  It means “little flutes” and it is made from bamboo or elephant grass.  The nodules on the grass block the passage of air and gives the instrument its pitch.    The reeds are assembled, large to small and tied together with string.  Western flutes with finger holes are believed to have evolved from this ancient musical device.

Ensasi: A shaker made of two gourds with stick handles used to accompany other instruments in traditional Ugandan music especially in the eastern and central region.  In northern Uganda there is a unique sound because the beads move side to side in a tin shell or gourd with several holes.

Basoga Lyre:  Made with lizard skin and tied with animal skin like the drums and harp.  Strings are assembled with wood woven through holes.  The Endongo, or Danda Lyre has one hole and the Entongoli, or Soga, has two pieces of banana fibers or barkcloth around the yoke.

As you can see, these instruments are quite different from the ones cultivated in Europe, and the musical experience is equally wondrous with African music instruments.