Bukusu Dance Class 2 of 3 (Musical Instruments)

 

Take a look at some of the musical instruments used in Bukusu Dances:

1.  Litungu- The 7-stringed lyre/harp (Not to be confused with the modern English Guitar).

 

2.  Luengele- A wooden block struck by 2 sticks.

 

3.  Limoyi- A bow-like play instrument, with attached resonator.

 

4.  Siilili- The 2-strnged fiddle.

 

5.  Eng’oma- The general name for a musical drum. It includes ;

a)    Efumbo- goblet-shaped large drum made from softwood, held between legs/swung around the shoulder

b)    Endoli- Smaller than Efumbo, trapped to hang in the armpit

c)    Endongoli- Smallest drum, played while held in armpit. 

d)    Improvised drums from empty 20L containers.

*Dried Alligator (Monitor Lizard) skins used to make excellent drums. Today, cow hides are often used for the same.  

 

6.  Chikhombi- Horn trumpets from ekhulo (waterbuck) and embongo (bongo). In khuminya, it is common to see improvised chikhombi in form of plastic pipes).

 

7.  Chisasi- [Maracas] - shakers made from two gourds, also a tool used by traditional healers to detect ailment. (Not to be confused with chisesi- half gourd).

 

8.  Chimbengele- A long, narrow (hollow) piece of hardwood (from kumwefubulu tree) and a board struck with 4 sticks.

 

9.  Bichenje- iron Jingles, often worn on legs.

 

 

10.       Chikengele- round shaped metal bells, hit by a metal rod to produce sound.

 

 

11.       Kayamba- adopted musical tool from Swahili communities.

 

Children Musical instruments include:

12.         Flute- made from Chindulienge (Pennisetum purpureum) reeds, millet or bamboo stems

13.         Walubende-One-stringed plucked ground lute. It is a ground bow that is made of a tin, string tied on a peg.

14.         Sifwototo- Two hands placed together to form a resonator and produced sound when blown. Fruit shells like Kamapera can also make bifwototo.

15.         Chinyimba- metal-bells- musical instruments for khuminya, fastened on lufufu shrub (Vitex doniana), stripped with kumulamalama (Piliostigma thonningii) bark and sisal (bukoko/nabiili). 

*One who plays litungu is called Omukhupetungu. Any other instrumentalist is called Omukhupi. Renowned bakhupetungu include; Muyundo Mang’oli, Joshua Matofari, Luka Wapang’ana, Protus Makana, and Menecha Kundukubi.