Africa
is a vast continent with an immense history and numerous cultures. As
such, there are also a great number of different instruments throughout
the land. This article will introduce some of the most common ones and
their place in African culture.
The Instruments
Cabasa
(also known as axatse or shekere) - The cabasa is an African instrument
made from gourd and is covered with seeds or shells. It is played by
striking on the legs and hands in different combinations. Hitting the
top of the instrument produces a deep drum-like tone.
Because gourds are used to make the instruments, and they all differ in shape, no two cabasas ever produce the same sound.
The instrument is used in folkloric music, particularly by the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
Agogô (also known as cowbell or gonkogui) -Like the cabasa, the agogô is an African instrument that has it's roots in Yoruba music. The two bells on the agogô differ in size; the smaller bell produces a high tone whilst the larger bell produces a low tone.
The agogô is considered to be among the oldest
samba instruments and is used in many Yoruba religious ceremonies.
Through African slavery, the instrument was introduced into other
countries and used in new religions established outside the African
continent.
Djembe
- The djembe is an African instrument that emerged in the Mali Empire
during the 12th Century. The drums vary in size but all have a skin
covering which, when beaten with the hands in various rhythms, produces
a wide range of tones.
Many djembe drums are made from a single carved piece of wood and covered with a toughened goat skin.
Juju
- The juju is an African instrument made from dried palm nut shells and
wood. The instrument is played very similar to a maraca with the
shaking of one producing a percussive sound.
Like many African
instruments, the Juju is used during many Yoruba ceremonies. Today, it
is used very frequently in Nigerian music.
Talking Drum
- The talking drum is a West African instrument which is shaped like an
hourglass. Both ends of the drum have a head which is beaten with a
stick. Tightening the strings of the drum can change the tone to such
an extent that some tribes use the differing tones as a means of
communication.
The Talking Drum originated in the ancient Ghana Empire over one thousand years ago.
Thumb Piano
- There are hundreds of different thumb pianos on the African
continent. The Mbira (left) is one such instrument. Constructed from
hardwood and metal, the instrument is played by supporting the piano
with one hand whilst using the thumb and index finger of the other hand
to pluck the keys.
Thumb pianos hold much religious and social
significance in Africa. The Shona people of Zimbabwe have been using
the Mbira for over 1500 years during their religious and social
ceremonies.
The
six instruments introduced above are just a few of the many that are
used throughout Africa. There are literally thousands of different
instruments used by hundreds of different tribes so obviously, we would
be unable to cover every one of them!
The djembe is believed to date back as early as the 5th
century. Many believe that blacksmiths from the Mandinka and Susa
peoples were the ones who created the drums. Over time, the migration
of these blacksmiths throughout West Africa is believed to have been
the reason the djembe became more widespread across West Africa.
However, it was not until the emergence the Mandinka people of the Mail
Empire that recorded history of djembe began. In Mali, the drums are
considered an instrument that can be played to create an ambience
during important ceremonies. The drums are so named because they were
originally constructed with wood from the jem tree; trees found in Mali
that have a very dense wood. The wood is carved into an hourglass shape
before being skinned with goat hide.
A typical example of a djembe drum
In
fact djembe wasn’t even the original name given to the drums!
Originally called jembe's, it was the French colonists who modified the
spelling to djembe. The reasoning behind this is that, in the French
language the 'j' sound has a different pronunciation to the English.
So, in order to highlight the hard 'j' sound the ‘d’ was introduced to
the beginning of the word.
Many historians believe cryptic
messages were communicated between people using djembe’s. Because the
djembe can be played to produce a variable range of tones, these
variables can be used to construct a musical language. Through varying
the tones, 'hidden' messages could be passed between groups of people.
Outsiders were unaware of the code and this made the djembe an
invaluable tool to communication during periods of African oppression.
Recent History
It
took many years for the drums to be introduced to countries outside of
West Africa. They reached Paris in the 1940's, but became more popular
in the 50's and 60's with the world tour of Les ballets Africains; a
ballet company who use the stage to help their audience form an
understanding of African culture. Within the last twenty years numerous
drumming circles have incorporated djembe drums into their ensembles.
The
djembe is now widely available throughout the world. The instrument
that started life as a drum which cultural significance to many West
Africans has now been embraced by people from all walks of life.
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