Author : Jennifer Stone
In the history of instruments Africa has a lot of contributions. Africa has created a lot of instruments that play a major role in the African music industry. There is variant kind of instruments, which has been seen in their tribal music. All the instruments are very different from each other and are used for various purposes. Here are the top 10 popular African musical instruments that are severely used in their creations-
10/10.
Algaita:
Algaita is an instrument that has a wide opening in the lower part of the device and has an open finger hole. It is hugely used in ceremonies and festivals of Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Benin, and other regions of Africa.
9/10.
Mbira:
Mbira is a thumb piano, which looks a lot like a Kalimba. This instrument is made with two rows of metal strips and attached to the wooden resonates. The process of playing it is the same as a Kalimba. It is a famous instrument in Namibia, Zambia, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
8/10.
Marimba:
Marimba is another xylophone kind of instrument of Africa. This instrument is made with small wooden planks and a wooden resonator. There are variant sizes of planks used in this gadget and all the planks are bound with chords. This is also played by small mallets and that is how the sound is produced. It is popular in African regions like Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the central part of the continent.
7/10.
Udu:
Udu is an African instrument that is invented in Nigeria. This instrument looks like a vessel of clay, which is used for storing water. There is no amount of wood, used in the instrument. It has a hole on it and this is available in various kinds of sizes. The sound of it differs on the basis of size, hollow, and style of playing.
Read more: The Top 10 Most Popular & Admired Indian Musical Instruments In 2022
6/10.
Djembe:
Djembe, also known as Jembe is a drum kind of instrument of Africa. This instrument has a curved wooden shape, which is covered with animal skin. There is also an extensive part attached to the curved portion which can be used as a stand. There are two surfaces in this instrument, the top, and bottom. On the top part, there is a hole and it is also covered with animal skin. This instrument is founded in the central and west of Africa.
5/10.
Shekere:
The most famous instrument in Africa is a Shekere. This instrument is partially covered with beads and the design of it looks like a net. This net of beads covers the gourd part of the Shekere. It is a quite different kind of instrument and it can be played by slamming or shaking hands. This instrument is used in various places in the country, like Ghana, Togo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Nigeria. It has a major impact on tribal music.
4/10.
The Balafon:
The balafon is an instrument that is very similar to a xylophone. It can be said that it is an African xylophone. This instrument is completely made from wood and bound with strings. Along with that, there are big gourds attached below with the wooden plank. And it is played with two sticks that are known as clubs/mallets. This instrument is majorly popular in Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast.
3/10.
The Talking Drum:
It is one of the most famous drums in Africa. This instrument looks very different than other drums. It is an hour-shaped drum and it is played by placing it under the arm. It has a pitched sound and can be controlled by pressing and squeezing the narrower side. This is very popular in the western part of the country like Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Mali, and Togo.
2/10.
Kalimba:
A Kalimba is now widely famous as a thumb piano. It is a small instrument that has metal strips attached to a resonator. There are variant sizes of metal strips in the instruments and are played with the tip of the thumb. The strips are flexible and create different kinds of sounds. An original ancient Kalimba was made from bamboo, but the modern one has been made with wood and metal. This instrument is hugely popular in the west and center of Africa.
1/10.
The Kora:
The Kora is a very famous instrument of Africa that is hugely used in African music. This instrument has many similarities with a guitar. There are 21 strings attached to the instrument. The instrument is also covered with a significant kind of skin and without that it is not complete. It has a large gourd-like part where the strings are attached and the sound is created. This instrument is used in many places in Africa like Benin, Gambia, Mali, Senegal, and Ivory Coast.
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