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
This page is maintained by Ian Fowler.