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.
