#world instruments

Kashubian Girl with a Traditional Instrument: Devil's Fiddle

The “Devil’s Fiddle” (Kashubian: diabelské skrzëpce; Polish: diabelskie skrzypce) is a traditional instrument of the Kashubian people, an Indigenous Lechitic ethnic group of Northern Poland.

Although its name suggests a string instrument, it's neither a fiddle nor a violin. Instead, it consists of a tall wooden staff crowned with a carved demonic head and adorned with ribbons, bells, and other small sound-making elements. A metal plate or spring is typically attached at the base. The player strikes the staff against the ground or shakes it to produce rhythmic sounds, making it primarily a percussion instrument used to accompany dancing and singing.

This ancient Indonesian instrument existed before Christianity, Islam, and even Hinduism, which is really old. The Angklung is not a song by Jethro Tull, but a marvelous instrument formed from bamboo. In order to play it, one must shake and knock tubes that bang against each other to make a sound.

This strange instrument is supposed to represent humans, who are also strange. The many tubes show that human beings cannot stand alone. The smaller tubes represent a person’s dreams, while the larger ones show how these dreams can grow into something bigger.

we've had this capped shawm* for over 40 years, bought it in an amazing ethnomusic shop in london called Ray Man (sadly gone now) and believe it or not, it still plays, though the reed is also over 40 years old now

we'd really like to find out what the local name of the instrument is and where it's from (we guess either the indian subcontinent, central asia, or se asia), which will put us on the path to finding new reeds for it

if any of you know please let us know, or if you know ethnomusicologists or musicians from these regions who might know what it is, please share this around, thanks

'Zambezi' - played by Tinashe on the Mbira (Zimbabwean instrument)

I came across this instrument watching the sun go down on Isla De Sol and again another Chilean was playing this instrument in the guesthouse next to us. It was such an ethereal sound that she was playing and I was curious what was making it. The next day I came across her again sitting by a ceremonial table, part of the ancient ruins on Isla De Sol, Bolivia and she got out her Mbira explained it to me, She was learning how to play it. I like this video less for the song, more for the sound the Mbira creates, though the song is a beautiful and tragic song. For more from Tinashe here.

Hang Massive - Once Again

Hoping this very informative piece on world music percussion instruments from all over the globe will make up for my lack of posting recently!

  Atsimevu

  If your music travel adventures ever take you to West Africa then you will be surrounded by rumbling rhythms and mesmerising melodies at every turn. However, if you want a really authentic sonic experience you should keep an ear out for the especially sacred sounds of the atsimevu drum native to this part of the continent.

The atsimevu drum is the lead instrument played in the widely renowned practice of Ewe drumming - a percussion-based musical style native to Ghana, Togo and Benin. There are many Ewe ensembles in existence in these parts of West Africa and you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a performance to attend.

The various hand strokes used and the raised position of the drum off the ground help to create the unique sounds of the astimevu, whose rhythms are supposed to mimic the intonations and tonal qualities of human speech. This reproduced speech is used to communicate with the rest of the group.   

The atsimevu functions as the lead drum in the group, guiding the other drums in the ensemble much like the conductor of an orchestra. It is a cylindrical drum made of wood which widens in the middle and narrows on either side, resembling something like a giant version of the buttons on a duffle coat.

Atsimevuwo (plural) vary in size, but are usually around 4 and a half feet tall, with a mid-section of about 15 inches in diameter and a head of about 9 inches in diameter. The head of the drum is usually made out of deer or antelope skin and is played using a combination of sticks and hands.

  Krakebs:

  Morocco is the destination of choice if you’re after some castanet-like percussion of the Arabic persuasion. Krakebs (or garagabs as they are also called) are similar in shape to the (generally) wooden castanets typically associated with flamenco and Latin American music; however the two differ distinctly.

Krakebs are made of heavy iron and are significantly larger than the average castanet. Not only this,  but rather than having just two conclave shaped pieces connected to each other by a string, krakebs are formed of two iron conclaves connected via a wide strip of metal. Two of these double conclave pieces are then connected via a string, thus forming the entire instrument.

Krakebs can be found mainly in Morocco and Algeria and are used in the rhythm section of Gnawa music.  If you are travelling through North Africa then it is important for you to understand what Gnawa music is; as this ancient, traditional music is a vital part of the African-Islamic culture of the region. The Gnawa tradition comprises of a vast repertoire of performance pieces including religious and spiritual songs, dances, poetry and patterns of rhythm.

Gnawa music is usually performed at a ‘Lila’: an all night long musical celebration during which participants are enticed into a state of trance or jadba, which the krakeb is fundamental in creating. A great opportunity to witness this trance-inducing music is at the annual Gnaoua Festival held in June every year in the UNESCO World Heritage listed coastal city of Essaouira. The Gnaoua festival attracts roughly 500, 000 attendees each year from all over Africa and the world. You don't need to learn Arabic to enjoy it as aside from traditional Gnawa music there are all kinds of contemporary African music performed here, including those that fall under more main stream genres such as jazz and rock.

  Kanjira:

  If your world music adventures take you to South India then you will no doubt stumble across some carnatic music on your travels. Carnatic music is a sub-genre of Indian classical music, which is of course very different to Western classical music and forms a big part of Indian culture. There are two main sub-genres of Indian classical music which both have roots in ancient Hindu traditions. Hindustani music is native to North India while Carnatic music is typical of the South.

If you travel across India you will see the difference in musical styles, with Hindustani music being more instrumental and Carnatic music being written specifically with the voice as the main instrument. There are tonnes of music festivals in India that feature Carnatic music performance and this hypnotic style of music is what a lot of modern Indian music derives from.

This percussion section of Carnatic music is usually comprised of the mridangam drumand the kanjira (khanjira or ganjira), an instrument of the tambourine family. The kanjira is an ancient instrument, being around since the 1880’s and used primarily in classical Indian music since the 1930’s. Similar to most tambourines, this ancient Southern-Indian version is also formed of a circular wooden frame made from the jackfruit tree.

The body is usually between 7 and 9 inches wide and 2 to 4 inches deep. The drum head is made of lizard skin; traditionally of the Bengal monitor lizard which is now an endangered species. The wooden frame has a slit on one side with 3 to 4 metal disks inserted into it which reverberate when the drum is hit.

The kanjira is a fascinating instrument to watch being played as the speed and dexterity needed requires great technical skill. It is usually played with the finger tips and palm of the right hand while the left hand holds the frame.

The fingers move with incredible speed and players can go on playing for lengthy periods of time as the rhythm increases in speed and intensity without a break, causing the players to work up a great sweat. The left hand is usually positioned with the fingers behind the skin of the drum and moved around to alter the pitch.

Cuíca

  Our world music percussion travels now take us to Brazil where music is a massive part of everyday life. The most internationally recognisable musical genre from this part of the world has to be samba and you will no doubt witness an abundance of this musical style as you travel, whether in the influence on modern music or in its raw, traditional form. If you see a live performance of samba, which is particularly likely at festivals such as the world famous Carnival for example, then keep a look out for the famous cuíca drum.

The cuíca is named after a type of opossum for the high-pitched, squeaky sound it makes when struck, and nicknamed 'laughing gourd' for the same reason. It has a large pitch range, which is unusual for most drums, and this is not only created with alterations to the tension of the drum head but also with the use of a bamboo stick positioned within the body of the drum, perpendicular to the drum head.

The pressure of the stick can be changed and it is rubbed with cloth and treated with rosin to create different sounds. The head of the cuíca is made of animal skin while the body is traditionally made of metal or gourd but is now sometimes also made of synthetic material.

The cuíca is held under the arm and attached to the body with a shoulder strap. The player rubs the interior stick with a wet cloth with one hand while they tap the drum head with their fingers with the other hand.  The cuíca is used in loads of traditional festivals and celebrations, from the dança de Santa Cruz in May, the moçambique dramatic dance in Minas Gerais, the rural samba performances around São Paulo to the Holy Cross dances and processions around the country.

Not to mention the famous Carnival, celebrated country wide but most elaborately in Rio de Janeiro, where entire armies of cuíca players perform. It is also used in a lot of recorded music, with Brazilian singers imitating the sound of the cuíca as well as it being one of the main instruments used in a lot of Brazilian jazz and rock.

Nagado-daiko:

  A trip to Japan which incorporates a musical experience is likely to involve some kind of taiko drum. The term ‘taiko’ is used to describe not only a range of different drums but also to the art of Japanese drum performances. The word ‘taiko’ means “big, fat drum” and a range of drums of all shapes and sizes fit under this term.

The individual drums are given different names depending on the style of music they are used in with the suffix ‘daiko’ attached to the name of that style. So for example, the taiko drum used in the ‘nagado’ style of music is referred to as a nagado-daiko drum.

Nagado-daiko is the most widely popular form of taiko drum used in Japan and is played using the techniques of the modern kumi-daiko style of playing. Their sound is characterised by a deep, reverberating sound and they are commonly used in religious festivals as well as in temples and shrines.

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