4. Musical Instruments, 1927
J.H.H. Pollock (Assessment Report 1927) provides list of
musical instruments he saw; his spelling is retained.
Drums
- A small hour-glass tension hand-drum used by Chong
dancers, finchimfichongfu
- Another 3'6" long, hollowed, the waist at 1/3 of
this distance, with a skin membrane fixed with pegs and thongs at one
end. It is carried over the shoulder, open end uppermost and called chum
- Kedom - an enlarged wooden bowl on
three legs, with a skin, as for chum. A small hole under the
bowl allows for the escape of air
- Friction drum - peculiar to the male chong
society
Rattles
- A calabash covered with net - ambachonga
- Feckaacha mfu' of bamboo fibre and
bush rope woven into a globe, with a handle
- Dried seed pods are worn round the ankles
Gongs
- 'Quefe' (Kwi'fon) double
gongs with small arched handles ranging from 3 ft to 10 inches long,
playing two notes
- Single-bell gongs - ngamachang - from
1½ to 2 ft
- A small replica of the 'quefa' gong about 6 inches
high, struck with a small iron rod, exclusive to women's societies
Calabash flute
- achun or chong,
giving 3 notes, played by women's societies
Whistles
- A variety, some just blown across the open end
Xylophone
- 18 ft long, with 5 sets of 7 notes, a player for each
set, placed on plantain stems for performance. Only played on special
occasions such as langa, and the death ceremonies of the chief,
'queen mother' and notables
Lyre
- A hollow box from which bamboo sticks protrude, from
the ends of which thongs are fastened to the box under tension, playing
5 notes (illustrated)
Sansa
- The widespread 'thumb-piano
For further information contact
Ian Fowler