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Ngoma (also called engoma or ng'oma or ingoma) are
musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
s used by certain
Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...
populations of Africa. ''Ngoma'' is derived from the
Kongo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...
word for "drum". Different Bantu-inhabited regions have their own traditions of percussion, with different names for their instruments. In Kikongo, "ngoma" is used by extension to signify specific dances, social occasions, and rhythms. In Swahili, ''
Ngoma music Ngoma ''(also ng'oma or ing'oma)'' is a Bantu term with many connotations that encompasses music, dance, and instruments. In Tanzania ngoma also refers to events, both significant life-changing events such as the first menstruation or the birt ...
'' is used to describe music, dance, instruments including the drums, and events together as a joint cultural practice..


Use in the Great Lakes and Southern Africa

The ngoma drum is known as ''engoma'' throughout the
African Great Lakes The African Great Lakes ( sw, Maziwa Makuu; rw, Ibiyaga bigari) are a series of lakes constituting the part of the Rift Valley lakes in and around the East African Rift. They include Lake Victoria, the second-largest fresh water lake in the ...
region. In Swahili, ngoma resulted because of unease in pronouncing ''engoma'' by dropping the syllable ''e''. The
Banyankore Ankole (Runyankore: ''Nkore''), was a traditional Bantu kingdom in Uganda and lasted from the 15th century until 1967. The kingdom was located in south-western Uganda, east of Lake Edward. History Ankole Kingdom is located in the South-Western ...
hold drums in high regard; especially the royal drums headed by ''Bagyendanwa'', without which a prince never laid claim to
kingship King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
. The
Baganda The Ganda people, or Baganda (endonym: ''Baganda''; singular ''Muganda''), are a Bantu ethnic group native to Buganda, a subnational kingdom within Uganda. Traditionally composed of 52 clans (although since a 1993 survey, only 46 are official ...
of
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
have a special relationship with ngoma drums, so much so that it is thought by many people that theirs is the country where this type of drum actually originated. The Baganda are fondly thought of as the children of Ngoma. The ngoma is used for communication and celebration and is also a symbol of authority. Ngoma is also used for storytelling. The ngoma are made of wood, which is covered with cow skin pegged on both ends, although you’ll also find tourist versions of these drums covered with
zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zeb ...
skins. Typically, they are played in groups of seven drums, each drum having its own voice and function within the ensemble. Another popular configuration is made with at least four drums. Each of these drums are treated as individuals, thus they each have a specific name. The largest drum is known as bakisimba and makes a loud bass sound. Some call it the Master drum. The empuunya is a little smaller and also produces a higher-pitched bass sound. The Nankasa is a small drum played with sticks and produces a very high-pitched sound. Last, but not least is the engalabi. The engalabi most closely resembles the original ngoma and is taller and more cylindrical than all the other drums in this set. It also has skin on only one side. All of the other drums are covered with cow skin on the top and bottom using an intricate lacing system, whereas the engalabi has a
lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
-skin head attached with small wooden pegs. This drum makes the highest pitched sound in the ensemble. The most popular African drums include the Djembe, Dundun, Bata, and Bougarabou just to highlight a few. Djembe means " everyone gather together in peace" according to Mali people. Throughout Central and South Africa, ngoma ceremonies are used to assist in healing during ceremonies. The rituals involve rhythmic music and dance, and can result in “stress reduction, social support, support of prosocial behaviors, psychodynamic growth, and placebo effect”. Ngoma often serves as a tool to unify the tribe, and assist in health or life transitions and a way to communicate to the spirits. The ngoma drum is also used in Zimbabwe, mainly for traditional dances and celebrations. All of the drums can be played with sticks or hands, except the Nankasa which is primarily played with two sticks.


References

*Mutwa, Credo Vusa'mazulu
''My People, My Africa''
New York: John Day (1969). *Mutwa, Credo Vusa'mazulu
''Indaba My Children: African Folktales''
Grove Press (1964). *University Musical Society's Youth Education Program:
Children of Uganda Teacher Resource Guide
by Bree Juarez. Edited by Bree & Ben Johnson (2005). *Berliner, Paul. (1978). ''The Soul of Mbira: music and traditions of the Shona people of Zimbabwe''. Berkeley: University of California Press. *Howard, Joseph H. (1967). ''Drums in the Americas''. New York: Oak Publications. *Mutwa, Credo Vusa'mazulu. (1969). ''My People: the incredible writings of Credo Vusa'mazulu Mutwa''. Johannesburg : Blue Crane Books, 1969. *Tracey, Andrew. (1970).
The Matepe Mbira Music of Rhodesia
. ''Journal of the African Music Society'', IV: 4, 37-61. *Tracey, Andrew. (1970). ''How to Play the Mbira (dza vadzimu)''. Roodepoort, Transvaal, South Africa: International Library of African Music. *Tracey, Hugh. (1961). ''The Evolution of African Music and its Function in the Present Day''. Johannesburg: Institute for the Study of Man in Africa. *Tracey, Hugh. (1969).
The Mbira class of African Instruments in Rhodesia
. ''African Music Society Journal'', 4:3, 78-95.


Recordings

*Columbia Records: ''
Drums of Passion ''Drums of Passion'' is an album produced by Babatunde Olatunji, a percussionist from Nigeria, in 1960. It was the first recording to popularize African music in the West, becoming immensely successful and selling over five million copies. In 200 ...
''. Liner notes by Akinsola Akiwowo (1958).


Additional reading

* Chamisa, V. (2017)
Approaches to the adaptation of Shona ngoma styles in Zimbabwean popular music
African Music, vol. 10, no. 3.


External links


The Children of Uganda detailed study guide

a page from ''Indaba My Children: African Folktales'' where the creation of ngoma is described


by Bethan Lewis * Royal Museum for Central Africa

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngoma Drums African drums Hand drums