The rhythm of loud drumbeats and the jingles of the tiny bells tied to the female dancers’ feet was a welcomed sound at Maduboru’s new moon festival. The fluid movements of the colorful multiple-layered waist beads at the dancers’ trim waists were a delight to behold.

Emeka belched and passed the wine gourd to Azubuike, his long-time friend, after taking a long draught from it. Then his eyes caught Ezinne, who was dancing with her friends across his seat.

His heart skipped a beat and was drawn to her while the noise around faded to a distance as he stared at the lithe goddess dancing and laughing.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said,” asked Azubuike, turning to his friend. He noticed something else captured Emeka’s interest, so he looked in the direction and saw Ezinne.

“Alas, someone conquered the village’s most eligible bachelor,” he said with a loud drunk laugh.

The traditional African music scene boasts of several beautiful moments as narrated in the fiction above. From the rhythmic beats of West Africa's drums to the haunting melodies of the Horn of Africa, African music has a rich and vibrant history and its instruments are a key part of that tradition. The music is also diverse with an extensive tradition such that the music and its instruments gives insight into its people - their culture, language, dressing, ceremonies, way of life, and other lifestyle behavior or patterns.

Well, in this write-up, we would focus on the traditional African musical instruments.

There are four major classes of African musical instruments. The idiophones are instruments that make sounds by vibration; the membranophones make sound by striking a membrane or dried animal skin, while the Chordophones make sound by striking a chord or string, and the aerophones make sound by blowing air into them.

So, we would take a look at the popular traditional African music instruments:

Drums: African drums are perhaps the most iconic musical instrument on the continent and they are categorized under the membranophones family. African drums come in different sizes and shapes, from the small talking drums of West Africa to the large djembe drums of Mali. Drums are used in various African music genres, from traditional ceremonies to modern dance music.

Mbira: The mbira, an example of an idiophone, is a type of lamellophone that consists of a series of metal keys attached to a resonating box. Players pluck the keys to produce sound. The mbira is a common instrument in many parts of Africa, especially in Zimbabwe.

Kora: The kora is a good example of a chordophone. It is a harp-like versatile instrument used to play a wide range of music. It’s mainly played in West Africa. The Kora has 21 strings, and players pluck the strings with their fingers.

Xylophone: The xylophone, under the idiophone family, is another popular African musical instrument made up of a series of wooden slats arranged on a scale. Players strike the slats with mallets to produce sound, and it is often used in traditional African music.

Ngoni: The ngoni is a type of lute played in East Africa. The chordophone instrument has a long neck and a round body, and players pluck the strings with their fingers. The ngoni is a popular instrument in traditional East African music.

Reed Pipe: This is an example of an aerophone. The reed pipe consists of a thin piece of material (reed) that vibrates when air is blown over it, producing sound. Reed pipes are crucial for creating distinctive tones in these instruments.

In addition to the instruments listed above, there are many other traditional African musical instruments, including flutes, trumpets, rattles, and shakers. These instruments are used in different African music genres, from traditional ceremonies to modern dance music.

If you are interested in learning more about African music, I encourage you to research and explore the many different instruments used in African music. You may be surprised at the variety and uniqueness of these instruments!

A djembe or jembe is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa

Traditional African Musical Instruments

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