Az albumról
Explorer Series
Gyűjtötte: Stephen Jay
Digitális utómunka: Robert C. Ludwig
The instruments
Axatse: A large rattle consisting of a hollow gourd surrounded by a loose net with many small beads or shells attached. Tension of the net is controlled with one hand, while the player shakes the gourd and strikes it against his leg. The rich sound of the axatse, believed to be highly favored by the gods, is closely associated with religious music.
Chohun: A xylophone, like the fzil, but slightly larger and with a greater number of tuneg keys.
Donno: A variable-pitch double-headed drum with an hourglass-shaped body made of wood. Held under the armpit, the donno is struck at one end with a single curved stick. By squeezing the instrument between his arm and his side, a player can produce a wide range of pitches with remarkable control. The donno's combined melodic and rhythmic capabilities make it an excellent "talking" drum.
Dzil: A xylophone consisting of 15 to 18 tuned hardwood keys mounted on a frame made of sticks; an acoustically matched gourd resonator is suspended beneath each key. Over a small hole at the bottom of each resonator is a thin membrane made from spider webs which produce a buzzing timbre when a key is struck. The dzil is played with rubber-tipped wooden mallets.
Gonje: A bowed lute with a single string made of horsehair. Its resonator consists of a bowl-shaped section of a calabash, with lizard skin stretched across its open side and a sound-hole cut in the skin. Players stop the string on the side with their fingertips; delicate "pitch bending" on certain notes of a tune is achieved by pulling or pushing on the neck.
Gulu: A double-headed cylindrical drum suspended from the shoulder and played either with one hand and a curved stick, ot with two curved sticks.
Gyamadudu: A double-headed bass drum with a cylindrical body made of wood. It hangs vertically in front of the legs and is played with one hand and with one heavy, straight stick.
Mpintintoa: A single-headed drum made from a large gourd, with goatskin head. The mpintintoa hangs against the player's chest and is played with both hands.
Namuna: A transverse trumpet made of animal horn, with a raised lip sourrounding the tone hole.
Wiik: An end-blown vertical flute with three finger holes. It is most often used in ensembles of three or more, with the players alternating notes hocket-style to produce a melody.
