Kambazithe Makolekole and his valimba group: a glimpse of the technique of the Sena xylophone
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v7i1.1932Abstract
The valimba xylophone of the Sena people of Malawi has been described by several writers, notably Kubik in his recently published two-record collection "Opeka Nyimbo". This article aims to amplify these descriptions, by discovering what it is that the young virtuoso players are actually doing on their huge xylophone, with its shimmering patterns of sound at breakneck tempo, its sudden repeated notes, and its rich harmonic sequences that are clearly related to those of the Shona in Zimbabwe and then- neighbours in Mozambique and Northern Transvaal, and by providing descriptions of the actual playing technique of the instrument to demonstrate something of its unique style.References
Blacking, J. 1961. 'Patterns of Nsenga kalimba music', African Music, Vol 2, No 4.
Dias, M. 1986. Instrumentos musicais de Moçambique, Instituto de Investigação Cien- tifica Tropical, Lisbon
Djenda, M. 1968. 'Moderne Musik in Malawi: Stile, Instrumente und Musiker', Afrika. Heute, 15, Bonn, Aug. 15.
Dziko , A. & Strumpf, M. 1984. 'A survey of musical instruments', Baraza, A Journal of the Arts in Malawi, No 2, June.
Jessup, L. 1983. The Mandinka balafon: an introduction with notation for teaching. Xylo Publications, La Mesa, California.
Jones, A.M. 1950. 'The kalimba of the Lala tribe, Northern Rhodesia', Africa, XX/4.
Kubik, G. 1960. 'The structure of Kiganda xylophone music', African Music, Vol 2, No 3.
--- 1962. Review of 'The music of central Africa' by R. Brandel, African Music, Vol 3, No. 1.
--- 1963. 'Discovery of a trough xylophone in Northern Mozambique', African Music, Vol 3, No 2.
--- 1965. 'Transcription of mangwilo xylophone music from film strips', Afrin'can Music, Vol 3, No 4.
--- and Djenda, M. 1967. Recordings of c. 10 valimba groups made at Nsanje and Chikwawa, Phonogrammarchiv Berlin, also held at Dept of Fine and Performing Arts, University of Malawi, Zomba.
--- 1968. 'Ethnomusicological research in southern parts of Malawi', Society of Malawi Journal, Vol 21, No 1, Blantyre.
--- 1987. Malawian music: a framework for analysis, University of Malawi, Zomba.
--- 1987. Super 8 film No. 67, 90 min, 'Lydia Malamusi interviews Moya Aliya about his experiences in Nsanje with the valimba', private collection Kubik, Vienna.
--- 1988. 'Nsenga/Shona harmonic patterns and the San heritage in Southern Africa', Ethnomusicology, Vol 32, No 2.
Kubik, G. & Malamusi, MA. 1989. Opeka nyimba (Musiker aus Malawi [südliches Malawi]), 2 LP records with book, No. 15 in Museum Collection, Musikethnologische Abteilung, Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin, ed. Artur Simon.
Malamusi, M. A. (in press). 'Zur Herstellung einer Ulimba: Kalebassenresoniertes Xylophons der Asena', inXylophone und Lamellophone, ed. Artur Simon, Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin.
Mensah, A. 1970. 'Principles governing the construction of the silimba: a xylophone type found among the Lozi of Zambia', Review of Ethnology, Vol 3, No 3, Stiglmayr Verlag, Vienna.
Ngumu, P-C. 1975/6. 'Les mendzan des Ewondo du Cameroun', African Music, Vol 5, No 4.
--- 1980. 'Modèle standard de rangées de carreaux', African Music, Vol 6, No 1.
Schneider, A. 1990. 'Okutuusa amadinda: Zur Frage äquidistanter Tonsysteme und Stimmungen in Afrika', Festschrift für Constantin Floros, Breitkopf & Härtel, Wies- baden.
Som, A. 1974. 'Acoustics of a Malawian xylophone', 8th International Congress on Acoustics, London.
Strumpf, Mitchel. 1970. Ghanaian xylophone studies, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
Tracey, A. 1961. 'The mbira music of Jege A Tapera', African Music, Vol 2, No 4.
--- 1970. 'The matepe mbira music of Rhodesia', African Music, Vol 4, No 4.
--- 1970, 1990. Recordings of valimba in Malawi and Mozambique, International Library of African Music, Grahamstown.
--- 1971. 'The nyanga panpipe dance', African Music, Vol 5, No 1.
--- 1972. 'The original African mbira?', African Music, Vol 5, No 2.
--- 1980. 'Mozambique', in New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Vol 12, pp 662-7, Macmillan, London.
--- 1984. 'Valimba', in New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Vol 3, p.706, Macmillan, London
--- 1988. 'The system of the mbira', 7th Symposium on Ethnomusicology, Inter- national Library of African Music, Rhodes University, Grahamstown.
Tracey, A. & Zantzinger, G. 1976. A companion to the films 'Mgodo wa Mbanguzi' and 'Mgodo wa Mkandeni', ILAM.
Tracey, H. 1948. Chopi Musicians, International African Institute.
Van Zanten, W. 1980. 'The equidistant heptatonic scale of the Asena in Malawi',African Music, Vol 6, No 1.
Dias, M. 1986. Instrumentos musicais de Moçambique, Instituto de Investigação Cien- tifica Tropical, Lisbon
Djenda, M. 1968. 'Moderne Musik in Malawi: Stile, Instrumente und Musiker', Afrika. Heute, 15, Bonn, Aug. 15.
Dziko , A. & Strumpf, M. 1984. 'A survey of musical instruments', Baraza, A Journal of the Arts in Malawi, No 2, June.
Jessup, L. 1983. The Mandinka balafon: an introduction with notation for teaching. Xylo Publications, La Mesa, California.
Jones, A.M. 1950. 'The kalimba of the Lala tribe, Northern Rhodesia', Africa, XX/4.
Kubik, G. 1960. 'The structure of Kiganda xylophone music', African Music, Vol 2, No 3.
--- 1962. Review of 'The music of central Africa' by R. Brandel, African Music, Vol 3, No. 1.
--- 1963. 'Discovery of a trough xylophone in Northern Mozambique', African Music, Vol 3, No 2.
--- 1965. 'Transcription of mangwilo xylophone music from film strips', Afrin'can Music, Vol 3, No 4.
--- and Djenda, M. 1967. Recordings of c. 10 valimba groups made at Nsanje and Chikwawa, Phonogrammarchiv Berlin, also held at Dept of Fine and Performing Arts, University of Malawi, Zomba.
--- 1968. 'Ethnomusicological research in southern parts of Malawi', Society of Malawi Journal, Vol 21, No 1, Blantyre.
--- 1987. Malawian music: a framework for analysis, University of Malawi, Zomba.
--- 1987. Super 8 film No. 67, 90 min, 'Lydia Malamusi interviews Moya Aliya about his experiences in Nsanje with the valimba', private collection Kubik, Vienna.
--- 1988. 'Nsenga/Shona harmonic patterns and the San heritage in Southern Africa', Ethnomusicology, Vol 32, No 2.
Kubik, G. & Malamusi, MA. 1989. Opeka nyimba (Musiker aus Malawi [südliches Malawi]), 2 LP records with book, No. 15 in Museum Collection, Musikethnologische Abteilung, Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin, ed. Artur Simon.
Malamusi, M. A. (in press). 'Zur Herstellung einer Ulimba: Kalebassenresoniertes Xylophons der Asena', inXylophone und Lamellophone, ed. Artur Simon, Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin.
Mensah, A. 1970. 'Principles governing the construction of the silimba: a xylophone type found among the Lozi of Zambia', Review of Ethnology, Vol 3, No 3, Stiglmayr Verlag, Vienna.
Ngumu, P-C. 1975/6. 'Les mendzan des Ewondo du Cameroun', African Music, Vol 5, No 4.
--- 1980. 'Modèle standard de rangées de carreaux', African Music, Vol 6, No 1.
Schneider, A. 1990. 'Okutuusa amadinda: Zur Frage äquidistanter Tonsysteme und Stimmungen in Afrika', Festschrift für Constantin Floros, Breitkopf & Härtel, Wies- baden.
Som, A. 1974. 'Acoustics of a Malawian xylophone', 8th International Congress on Acoustics, London.
Strumpf, Mitchel. 1970. Ghanaian xylophone studies, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
Tracey, A. 1961. 'The mbira music of Jege A Tapera', African Music, Vol 2, No 4.
--- 1970. 'The matepe mbira music of Rhodesia', African Music, Vol 4, No 4.
--- 1970, 1990. Recordings of valimba in Malawi and Mozambique, International Library of African Music, Grahamstown.
--- 1971. 'The nyanga panpipe dance', African Music, Vol 5, No 1.
--- 1972. 'The original African mbira?', African Music, Vol 5, No 2.
--- 1980. 'Mozambique', in New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Vol 12, pp 662-7, Macmillan, London.
--- 1984. 'Valimba', in New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Vol 3, p.706, Macmillan, London
--- 1988. 'The system of the mbira', 7th Symposium on Ethnomusicology, Inter- national Library of African Music, Rhodes University, Grahamstown.
Tracey, A. & Zantzinger, G. 1976. A companion to the films 'Mgodo wa Mbanguzi' and 'Mgodo wa Mkandeni', ILAM.
Tracey, H. 1948. Chopi Musicians, International African Institute.
Van Zanten, W. 1980. 'The equidistant heptatonic scale of the Asena in Malawi',African Music, Vol 6, No 1.
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2017-07-12
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“Kambazithe Makolekole and His Valimba Group: A Glimpse of the Technique of the Sena Xylophone”. 2017. African Music : Journal of the International Library of African Music 7 (1): 82-104. https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v7i1.1932.
