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The Kalimba of the Lala Tribe, Northern Rhodesia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2012

A. M. Jones
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Extract

Alexander Mayunge's father was, before he died, headman of Mayunge Village in the Lala area of Northern Rhodesia—that is, some 100 miles east of Broken Hill. He was a professional Kalimba maker, and Alexander his son, to whom I am indebted for the facts in this essay, used to help him. Mayunge used to make all kinds of Tulimba—the Kankoŵela, the Ndande, and the Tulimba-twa-masaŵu: he also made Malimba which, among the Lala, means single-note xylophones.

Résumé

LE KALIMBA DE LA TRIBU LALA, DE LA RHODÉSIE DU NORD

L'auteur, qui a étudié la musique africaine depuis de nombreuses années, décrit dans cet article la fabrication d'un Kankoŵela—une sorte de ces instruments de musique connus sous le nom de Kalimba, dont l'usage est très répandu en Afrique Centrale. Le Kalimba se compose d'une planche de résonance, avec un chevalet en métal au-dessus duquel sont fixés un nombre de fourchons métalliques, soigneusement accordés. La planche de résonance est placée sur une calebasse tenue dans les mains et les notes sont jouées avec les deux pouces. En plus d'une description détaillée de la façon d'accorder l'instrument et la gamme employée, l'auteur traite de la forme et du caractère de la musique de Kankoŵela et donne des exemples de chansons et de leurs accompagnements.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , October 1950 , pp. 324 - 334
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1950

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References

1. Translation: ‘O Mr. Hare, you Slothful One! even in walking, you Slothful One!’

2. The marks over the words are speech-tones: = middle tone, and — = high tone. The relation of the rise and fall of speech-tone to the rise and fall of melody is a big question. As far as we know it has not yet been investigated by anybody. But it may be said that in free-rhythm songs, where the melody and words may be altered at will, the rise and fall of melody will be found to correspond generally with the rise and fall of speech-tones: there are, however, certain conventions observed by the Bantu which cause apparent exceptions to this rule.

3. The song is sung very softly in a quiet wistful murmur.

4. The two phrases of the Kankoŵela are coincident widi the two phrases of the song. This is by no means always the case.

5. The Bantu in Central Africa find no difficulty whatever in singing or playing four against three or conversely: it is as plain as daylight to them.

6. Note especially that the first beat of the bar of the accompaniment does not coincide with the first beat of the bar of the song, though both are in the same ⅜ time. This crossing of the beats is not syncopation, but it is absolutely fundamental to African music. The principle is discussed in African Music in Northern Rhodesia and Elsewhere, by Jones, A. M., published by (and obtainable from) The Rhodes-Livingstone Institute, Livingstone, N. Rhodesia. 3s.Google Scholar

7. The Kankoŵela phrases are identical except for the penultimate note of each phrase—G and F: how very telling is this slight modification!—it ‘makes’ the tune.

8. The fourth note from the end of the song (G) is harmonized by the bottom note of the Kankoŵela, Ab This bears out what we have already said about the indeterminate position occupied by the latter note.

9. If it be asked, ‘What is the main beat of this piece?’—the answer is that there are two—one for the song and one for the instrument, and the listener may pay attention to either one or the other, or to both simultaneously!—that is the genius of African music. It is a revealing exercise to sing the melody and at the same time to try and tap the main beats of the Kankoŵela, attempting to realize that they are main beats, not the third beat of the song bar.

1. This really is a splendid piece of music.

2. Translation: ‘Mr. Nchimishi, the Headman of the village—just as he tried to run away, he was struck on the neck by an Angoni!’ (The syllable -li- in ‘kalipama’ stands for ipule which means a Mungoni.)

3. The song is essentially a solo, sung by the player. More verses may be added but the form of the song will remain unchanged. It is in A-B, A-B form, A being the song part and B being the Kankoŵela solo part A chorus may join in: in this case they repeat the words and melody of the solo, singing just after the soloist, that is, while he is playing the Kankoŵela solos.

4. The melody may be sung as we print it: it may also be sung, by way of variety, a fourth lower. The piece is repeated in toto over and over again as long as is desired.

5. The Kankoŵela is considered to have two ‘banks’—as we have indicated in the section on tuning. The left bank, presided over by the left thumb is, during the song, considered by the player to be reduplicating the melody thereof as we print it. The right thumb is considered to be reduplicating the alternate form of the melody (a fourth lower). Thus, the essential notes of the left thumb are:

and of the right thumb:

6. In contrast with Example I, where the accompaniment is in arpeggio form, in this second example it is mainly chordal, using fourths, a fifth and, very curiously, a tenth.

7. Although necessarily scored in time, the song sounds anything but four-square. It is sung quite freely, though strictly in time, and its stressed notes are melodic and not word-accents. We have marked the notes which take an apparent stress in singing. But in beating time the African player taps his foot on the first and third beats of the bar as we have scored it. These, then, are the real beats.

8. Note that the whole piece consists of 4 phrases each of 8 beats. This exemplifies the rule for African music as regards length of phrase. African music in Central Africa always falls in phrases of 2 beats or 3 beats or a multiple of these.