Tangmuri

Tangmuri on Khasi ka tangmuri, is a double reed instrument with a conical bell, which is played by the ethnicity of the Khasi in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya to the accompaniment of dancing and entertainment in joyous festive occasions.

Design

The tangmuri consists of a wooden match tube about 20 inches long with seven finger holes at the top. This is extended by a 15 cm long conical bell made ​​of wood, which is removable. The short double-reed attached to a three -centimeter-long conical metal tube, which is wrapped with a cord so that it can be windproof inserted into the pipe end game. The musician uses the three upper handle holes with the left and the four lower holes with the right hand. The instrument has a high, penetrating sharp sound. The word component muri means to Khasi " drain " or " (water) flow ."

Dissemination

In many parts of Asia cone oboes are common with detachable bell, which are related to the Persian instrument type surnais. This also applies to Northeast India and other areas that are outside the influence of Islamic culture. In Myanmar, this includes the teeth, in Thailand the pi chanai, the suona in China and in Korea the taepyeongso. The Indian music most widely used double-reed instrument with a conical bell is the shehnai, which occurs in the regional Indian folk music in various variants.

Northeast India is culturally influenced by the Tibetan Buddhist music. When played in Tibetan monasteries gyaling an elaborately designed bell bronze and chrome-plated brass or silver is placed on the wooden melody pipe. The Monba into Arunachal Pradesh have taken such a wind instrument with a wide bell and play it as usual in Tibet paired with Handzimbeln and natural trumpets ( Dungchen in Tibet). For other regional double-reed instruments, the origin is unclear, such as the extra-long three-part muri of wood, which is played by the belonging to the Bodo -Koch- speakers Dimasa of Assam for dance accompaniment. In the plains of central Assam Shenai is a wooden Kegeloboe with seven finger holes. The Mohori referred to in several parts of India, a Kegeloboe. In Odisha the so- called wind instrument corresponds to a shehnai at the Devdhanis of Assam, however, has the Mohori six finger holes; its three parts are made entirely of bamboo. Shrill tone, size and shape combine tangmuri with the South Indian kuzhal. In many ways similar to the tangmuri is also in North Africa, played by the Fulbe algaita.

Play

The Khasi have a large selection of musical instruments, some of which, like the bamboo slit drum KDOR, the whipped bamboo zither singing diengphong (similar to the chigring the Garo ) and the raft zither dinkhrang belong to groups whose distribution area in Southeast Asia is located. Other string instruments have a Near Eastern origin, such as the four-stringed long-necked lute duitara (from Persian Dotar ) or the three-to four-stringed fiddle maryngod ( related to the Sarinda ). Previously sounded the trumpet turoi as warning call before the attack of an enemy.

In an ensemble of tangmuri and drums come before characteristic double cone drums as well as known from the Middle East and Central Asia boiler drums for India. The small cup-shaped boiler drum of the Khasi called Ksing. It is beaten with two sticks and belongs to the type of the Arab naqqaras. Much greater the upright, long boiler drum ka bom (also ka Nakra, names related to the nagra the Garo ). Horizontally and hanging around the neck of the player double cone drum synthieth whose shape corresponds to the pung in Manipur In the dances listed by boys and girls is heard only in drumming and tangmuris also Guimbardes (ka Mieng ) made ​​of bamboo. The tangmuri is only used for celebrations and ritual dances with cheerful character, while at funerals and other sad occasions the bamboo flute sharati (also ka shing wiang ) is blown with eight finger holes.

The members of the old Khasi religion ( Niam Khasi ) see themselves as guardians of the cultural tradition, which includes a number of annual festivals. In the folk tales there is a version of the cosmogonic myth of the separation of heaven and earth, based on ancient Asian ideas. The standing in the center of the earth Diengiei tree serves as a ladder to freely be able to ascend to heaven until a malevolent sea monster the tree can grow so long that its branches cover the sun and it gets dark on Earth. As people try to cut down the tree, every night seems a big tiger licking the wounds of the ax blows again. By the advice of a bird people manage to beat the Tigers in the flight and to cut down the tree. It is thus now separated light on the earth again, but people are from heaven.

The tree worship of the Khasi manifested in sacred groves between the fields that need to be protected, and in a post oak -called " the pillar of God", which is in the middle of the royal palace of Smit, the cultural center of the Khasi. Every autumn finds this symbolic World Tree Ka Pom- Blang Nongkrem held a harvest festival with a fertility dance, be brought in the potion and goat sacrifices for the founder of the Nongkrem State. The column is the center of a ceremonial dance of women of the royal family, the ceremonially forward, accompanied by the zither bamboo singing diengphong and tangmuri. The Nongkrem puja lasts for five days. Even before the actual ceremony, when the place is cleaned for the goat sacrifice now following, it will beep as a sign of joy over the accomplished action drums and tangmuris.