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A close-up on some of South Africa’s indigenous instruments

23 September 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo iFlair Photography

According to Dr Absolum Nkosi, Senior Lecturer in the Odeion School of Music at the University of the Free State (UFS), “ancient traditional instruments form part of the African heritage”. As such, with Heritage Day upon us, it is imperative to highlight these South African indigenous musical instruments.

Some of the most prominent South African musical instruments currently in the possession of the UFS, include uhadi and umakhoyane, also referred to as ugubhu. At first glance, one would think that these instruments are the same. This would not be an incorrect assumption. In fact, these instruments share similarities in terms of purpose and how they have been used throughout their existence.

Similarities and differences between the instruments

For instance, both uhadi and umakhoyane (ugubhu) are instruments traditionally played by women. Dr Nkosi maintains that songs accompanied by any of these instruments are usually personal, as they cover topics such as love, family, and relationships. Furthermore, the songs that were sung with the assistance of these instruments, were also about a reflection of the individual’s mental state. As such, the fact that both instruments have a very soft sound aided in that reflective process.

However, there are key variations between these instruments. Uhadi is a single-string acoustic bow affiliated with the Xhosa tribe, whereas umakhoyane is a single-string acoustic bow affiliated with the Zulu tribe. In addition, umakhoyane possesses a bridge in the middle that uhadi does not. Furthermore, there is also a difference in the sound produced by the two instruments. “Uhadi produces one sound when it is played with the string openly without touching it; you can then get the second sound by pinching and releasing the string using the index finger and a thumb. However, umakhoyane produces two notes when playing the string on the upper and the lower level. The bridge in the middle of the string divides it into an upper part (low tone) and a lower part (high tone),” Dr Nkosi indicated.

It is imperative to note that these instruments have adapted over time. In fact, they have been used in genres such as Jazz and contemporary Afro music. Therefore, Dr Nkosi believes that the preservation of these indigenous instruments is essential, as it keeps the African musical identity alive.

Uhadi: Indigenous South African instrument affiliated with the Xhosa tribe

Umakhoyane: Indigenous South African instrument affiliated with the Zulu tribe

News Archive

What do diamonds, chocolates, bugs and almost 30 Nobel Prizes have in common? Crystallography

2014-10-15

Some of the keynote speakers and chairpersons at the third world summit in the International Year of Crystallography (in Africa) were, from the left, front: Profs Abdelmalek Thalal (Morocco), Prosper Kanyankogote (University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo); Habib Bougzala (Tunisia), Santiago Garcia-Granda (IUCr, University Oviedo, Spain), Michele Zema (IYCr 2014, Italy/UK) and Dr Jean-Paul Ngome-Abiaga (UNESCO, Paris, France); back: Dr Thomas Auf der Heyde (Acting Director-general, South African Department of Science and Technology); Dr Petrie Steynberg (SASOL) and Prof André Roodt (UFS, host).

Photo: Marija Zbacnik

The third world summit in the International Year of Crystallography (in Africa) was hosted by Prof André Roodt, Head of the Department of Chemistry and President of the European Crystallographic Association, at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

A declaration with and appeal to support crystallography and science across Africa, was signed.

When one mentions 'Crystallography', or more simply 'crystals', what comes to mind? Diamonds? Perhaps jewellery in general? When thinking of crystals and Crystallography, you will need to think much bigger. And further – even to Mars and back.

Crystallography refers to the branch of science that is concerned with structure and properties of crystals. The obvious examples would include cut diamonds, gemstones such as amethysts, and ‘simple’ crystals such as selenite and quartz.

But have you thought about the irritating brown scales at the bottom of your kettle? The sand in your shoes? The salt over your lamb chops or the sugar in your coffee? All crystals. From egg shells to glucose, from bugs and insecticides to additives in food – even the compounds in chocolate – all fall under the close scrutiny of Crystallography.

The breakthroughs this field of science has produced have led to almost 30 Nobel Prizes over the years.

Determining the structure of DNA by crystallography was arguably one of the most significant scientific events of the 20th century. Different diseases have been cured or slowed by medicines obtained based on crystallographic studies. These include certain cancers, HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Biological Crystallography enables the development of anti-viral drugs and vaccines.

This field of science influences our daily lives in virtually immeasurable ways. Here are but a few areas of study and development Crystallography contributes to:

•   LCD displays;
•   cellular smartphones;
•   insects and insecticides;
•   additives and products in foods;
•   improved effectiveness and security of credit cards;
•   new materials to preserve energy;
•   better gasoline with less by-products;
•   identify colour pigments used in paintings from the old masters, indicating if it’s an original or an imitation; and
•   beauty products such as nail polish, sun-block, mascara and eye shadow.

Crystallography is also currently used by the Curiosity Rover to analyse the substances and minerals on Mars.

Crystals and Crystallography form an integrated part of our daily lives – from bones and teeth to medicines and viruses, from chocolates to the blades in airplane turbines. Even down to the humble snowflake.

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