Begena

The beganna ( Amharic በገና bägäna ), also begana, Begena, begenna, is a common in Ethiopia large lyre with eight to ten strings. In contrast to the smaller krar the beganna is not in restaurants ( Tej bets) and played only by men. It is used to accompany songs with solemn or religious character. You put on the floor and plucked with fingers or a pick. The left hand usually plays the melody, due to the low mood often an octave below the singing voice; the right one bordunartige accompaniment.

Design and style of play

According to Ethiopian tradition, the beganna the legendary, biblical David Harp said to have I, brought after a visit with his father in Jerusalem with the Israelites around 1000 BC to Ethiopia the mythical son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Menelik. Therefore, the beganna accompanied exclusively religious music and never play together with other musical instruments. In fact, the lyres are likely in the first centuries AD from Egypt to Nubia, where to this day the Kisir and tambura, as the Red Sea, the simsimiyya be played, have spread to Aksum.

Especially during the Christian fasting before Easter and Christmas is to hear the sound of beganna. The name components be, " while", and genna, " Christmas", suggest a connection of the instrument with the Ethiopian fasts.

Design, mood and style of play to have changed little since ancient times. The mostly wooden body is covered with parchment made ​​of ox skin, the wooden yoke ( Kenber ) and the body does not rattle body, in contrast to other African lyres attached. The ten gut strings (now also nylon strings ) symbolize the Ten Commandments and are tuned in pentatonic scale. The lateral arms of the instrument bear the names of the archangels, the body symbolizes the Virgin Mary, the yoke of God Himself, since the beganna is connected with the name of David, it was for many centuries as an instrument of the nobility and clergy. Many rulers were themselves Beganna interpreters. After the beganna during the period of military rule was rare, they experienced since the mid- 1990s, a renaissance. The number of instruments built and Beganna players increases, also because the instrument can be played by people of all walks of life today.

In contrast to the smaller bowl lyre krar the beganna is only used for meditation, the singing of psalms and events from the Ethiopian history. The beganna is played by men and women sitting. The great instrument is either on the thigh or a chair. With the left hand, the strings are plucked, while the right holds the instrument. Either the vocal melody is plucked or accompanying, untermalende tone sequence. The songs sung for beganna can be longer than ten minutes, depending on the memory of the interpreter. The gentle rattling sound and repetitive tune consequences create a meditative mood quickly. In a rare technique beganna is rhythmically struck with a plectrum.

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