Musical Instruments In the African Cultures Quiz

Answer:

Kora: The kora is from West Africa and looks like a cross between a harp and a large guitar. It is traditionally built from a large, hollow gourd covered in cow skin, featuring a long wooden neck where 21 strings are attached. For centuries, it has been played by hereditary storytellers called griots who play it and sing about family lineages, historical events, and their culture.

Mbira: The mbira, or thumb piano, is rooted in the culture of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. It consists of a flat wooden soundboard fitted with a row of flexible metal keys of varying lengths that are plucked. In Shona culture, the mbira is a deeply spiritual instrument considered a bridge to the spirit world through which deceased ancestors can be connected with the living.

Djembe: The djembe is a drum created by the Mandinka people of West Africa. It is made from a single piece of hardwood and topped with stretched goat skin. It's played with bare hands, and depending on where and how the drummer strikes the skin, it can produce a wide range of sounds. In West Africa culture it is played to bring people together for weddings, harvests, births, and storytelling.

Balafon: The balafon is a West African wooden xylophone that dates back to the 12th century Mali Empire. It features a row of carved wooden keys on a bamboo frame. There are hollowed out gourds called calabashes hanging underneath each key which act as natural amplifiers. In West African culture, it is revered as a sacred instrument of oral history and celebration and is played to accompany epic poetry and songs.

Talking drum: The talking drum is an hourglass shaped drum from West Africa that can literally mimic the pitch and rhythm of human speech. It has two drumheads connected by a series of leather tension cords running down its sides. A musician strikes it with a specially curved wooden stick while squeezing and releasing the cords. In African culture, the talking drum is legendary for its historical role as a long distance communication system. A skilled drummer can literally translate spoken phrases into drum beats that can be heard up to five miles away.

Shekere: The shekere is a percussive shaker instrument mainly associated with the Yoruba people of Nigeria. It's made from a large, dried, hollow gourd wrapped in a woven net of beads, seeds, or shells. The shekere's sound is produced on the outside as players shake, twist, slap, or tap the gourd, causing the external net to strike the hard outer shell. Because it requires a lot of physical energy to play, shekere musicians often dance while performing, making it a visual centerpiece at weddings, religious festivals, and cultural performances.

Udu: The udu is a clay drum that originated with the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It has no animal skin drumhead; instead, it is a water jug made of fired clay with an extra hole built into the side. To play it, a musician sits with the pot in their lap and strikes the side hole with an open palm while using their fingers to tap the clay body. Traditionally made and played exclusively by women, it evolved from a water jug into a musical centerpiece for women's companion groups, rites of passage, and cultural dances.

Inanga: The inanga is a stringed instrument from East/Central Africa, most famously played in Rwanda and Burundi. It is a large and flat wooden board that slightly curves up at the sides, resembling a shallow trough. A single long cord is woven back and forth through notches at the ends of the board to create six to eight parallel playing strings which are plucked. Culturally, it is used with a unique style of soft, whispered singing which master players utilize to share life lessons, recount historical battles, and praise the history and family of kings.

Algaita: The algaita is a double reed wind instrument popular among the Hausa and Kanuri peoples of Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. It features a wooden pipe, wrapped in leather, with finger holes and finishing with a wide, flared brass or wooden bell at the end. To play it, musicians use a technique called circular breathing, which is breathing in through the nose while simultaneously squeezing air out of the cheeks. Historically, it was played exclusively for kings, sultans, and emirs to signal their presence, announce royal decrees, or accompany grand palace ceremonies and continues to be a part of large celebrations.

Krin: The krin is a percussion instrument from the forest regions of Guinea and other parts of West Africa. It has no animal skin head; instead, it is entirely carved from a single log. The maker cuts two or three long, parallel slits of varying thicknesses into the top of the log. A musician strikes the wooden pieces between these slits with plain wooden sticks. Because the hollowed wood creates incredibly loud, piercing tones that travel effortlessly through dense forests, villages used specific rhythmic patterns on the krin to transmit vital messages across miles. This can be announcing a successful hunt, warning of approaching danger, or calling the community together for a meeting.

Sitar: Originates from the Indian subcontinent
Didgeridoo: Developed by Indigenous Australians
Bouzouki: A traditional stringed instrument from Greece
Berimbau: A single-string percussion instrument developed in Brazil
Shamisen: A three-stringed traditional lute from Japan