Kenya’s musical heritage encompasses a diverse array of traditional instruments used in ceremonies, storytelling, and social gatherings. These instruments mirror the interplay between environment, history, and community values. Materials such as animal hides, gourds, bamboo, and reeds are fashioned into instruments whose sounds have echoed across generations. Research conducted in the late 1950s by Graham Hyslop documented many of these instruments, detailing their construction, tuning, and cultural contexts.
Historical Background of Research Efforts
In 1958 and 1959, Graham Hyslop organized courses at Jeanes School to record and preserve traditional Kenyan instruments. Musicians from regions including Lake Victoria Province and coastal Kwale district participated without remuneration, recognizing the importance of safeguarding their musical heritage. Hyslop and his team photographed instruments, made sound recordings, and documented construction methods, creating a valuable archive at a time when many traditions faced the threat of decline
Stringed Instruments
Kenyan stringed instruments exhibit a variety of forms and tuning systems. Many employ cattle leg tendons for strings, which produce warm baritone tones but allow only limited tension. In some cases gut from discarded tennis racket strings provided a more durable alternative for higher pitches. Tuning devices range from winding knots around the frame to peg systems akin to those on violins. Players demonstrate sophisticated techniques, bending notes and varying plucking patterns to achieve intricate ornamentation
Lyres and Harps
The Litungu lyre of Bugusu country exemplifies the craftsmanship of Kenyan string makers. This eight-stringed instrument measures nearly three feet, featuring a wooden bowl resonator covered with giant lizard skin. Beeswax secures the bridge while the diatonic tuning omits the seventh scale degree, yielding a seven-note sequence from B flat to its octave. A seven-string variant uses similar materials. Other notable examples include the Adeudeu horizontal harp of the Teso people and the Siiriri bowed lute played with a sisal bow. Resonator size and string length determine the tonal range and timbre of each instrument
Bow Instruments
Bow instruments such as the Ntono and Obukano provide distinct melodic voices. The Ntono bow, used by the Mtende people, spans four and a half feet and employs a wire stretched at two fixed points to define a perfect fourth interval. A gourd resonator amplifies sound while a finger stall carved from the gourd’s neck alters pitch. A striker and attached bell enrich the rhythmic texture. The Obukano of Kisii country measures three and a half feet, with four strings duplicated across an octave. A hide-covered resonating bowl and beeswax bridge support resonant bass and tenor tones
Percussion Instruments
Percussion instruments form the rhythmic foundation of Kenyan music. The Efumbu drum stands two feet nine inches tall, its giant lizard skin head producing mellow bass tones. Tuned by exposure to sun or fire, it often performs alongside the smaller Endonyi drum, which offers higher-pitched accents. The Teso people craft Atenesu drums from tin containers, covering both ends with ox hide. Bell-type instruments such as the Kayamba rattle, made from two layers of reeds filled with seeds, generate a buzzing underpinning. Ankle bells called Esimane link movement to sound, accentuating dancers’ footwork
Wind Instruments
Woodwind and horn instruments contribute melodic and ceremonial roles. The NZumari of coastal Digo country resembles a double-reed instrument in bamboo, sustaining a continuous tone through circular-breathing techniques. The Chivoti transverse flute features a scale that begins with whole-tone steps before leaping a major seventh. Players adjust hole sizes with beeswax or plant matter to maintain tuning in varying humidity. The Mwarutu gourd flute provides four pitches, with the lowest produced by lip positioning over the mouthpiece. Large kudu and cow horns employ hand-stopping and breath control to achieve extended melodic phrases without audible breaths
Musical Scales and Tuning Systems
Kenyan instruments utilize diatonic, pentatonic, and hybrid scales. Litungu lyres follow a modified diatonic framework, omitting scale degrees to suit local aesthetic preferences. Chivoti flutes combine whole-tone intervals with larger leaps, creating distinctive melodic contours. Pentatonic scales appear across many percussive and plucked instruments, facilitating modal improvisation. Scale selection reflects both instrument mechanics and the musical traditions of each ethnic group
Role of Instruments in Performance
In traditional settings, instruments rarely perform in isolation. Lyre players often accompany each other while singing, with one musician introducing a narrative before duet performance ensues. Percussionists interlock rhythms in shifting meters, providing dancers and vocalists with complex, propulsive grooves. Wind instruments weave harmonic lines around vocal melodies, creating call-and-response textures. These ensembles reinforce communal bonds, commemorate ancestral histories, and mark lifecycle events
Preservation and the Changing Musical Scene
During the 1958 course, a participant even suggested banning guitars to preserve indigenous instruments, reflecting concern about Western influences. Today, local festivals and workshops promote traditional music, integrating elders and youth. Ethnomusicologists collaborate with instrument makers to revive craftsmanship and transmission. Contemporary artists increasingly fuse traditional sounds with modern genres, ensuring continued relevance. Sustained community engagement and institutional support remain crucial for safeguarding Kenya’s musical legacy
Conclusion
Kenya’s traditional instruments testify to centuries of ingenuity and cultural diversity. From resonant lyres and melodic bows to vibrant percussion and soulful wind instruments, they embody the nation’s musical identity. The pioneering documentation by Graham Hyslop provides a foundation for continued research and preservation. Strengthening educational programs and cultural policies will help ensure that these instruments and their music endure, enriching both Kenyan society and the broader world of ethnomusicology.
References
Hyslop, G. (1958). African musical instruments in Kenya. African Music, 2(1), 31–36.
Hyslop, G. (1959). More Kenya musical instruments. African Music, 2(2), 24–28.