Calabash (percussion)

In African music, the calabash is a percussion instrument of the family of idiophones consisting of a half of a large calabash gourd, which is struck with the palms, fingers, wrist or objects to produce a variety of percussive sounds.[1]

Calabash
Percussion instrument
Classification percussion
Hornbostel–Sachs classification111.3

In Tuareg music, the askalabo[2] is a calabash "partly submerged in water, drummed to mimic camels' hooves".[3]

The calabash can also be used as a sound board: a finger piano (a flat board with a bridge on which prongs are fastened, that are then played with the fingers) can use a calabash for that purpose,[1] and the gongoma is a similar instrument, using saw blades on a bridge affixed over the calabash—the blades are plucked with the fingers, while the player taps the calabash with their other hand.[4]

A calabash can also be used as a resonator, in the case of the umakhweyane, a middle-braced calabash bow.[5]

Percussionist (Mamadou Sarr) playing the Calabash with the bare hand technique
Percussionists playing Calabash with both fists and fingers

References
  1. Nzewi, Odyke; Nzewi, Meki (2007). A Contemporary Study of Musical Arts: Theory and practice of modern African classical drum music. A Contemporary Study of Musical Arts: Informed by African Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Vol. 5. African Minds. pp. 1, 4. ISBN 9781920051686.
  2. Peek, Philip M.; Yankah, Kwesi, eds. (2004). African Folklore: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 9781135948726.
  3. Davies, Sam (1 August 2019). "'My father said I should be looking after the cows': the first female Tuareg guitarist". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  4. Kalani; Camara, Ryan M. World Rhythms! Arts Program presents West African Drum & Dance: A Yankadi-Macrou Celebration. Alfred Music. p. 38. ISBN 9781457422331.
  5. Dargie, Dave (2007). "Umakhweyane': A Musical Bow and Its Contribution to Zulu Music". African Music. 8 (1): 60–81 – via JSTOR.


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