Kakaki

Kakaki is a long, endgeblasene natural trumpet made ​​of metal Hausa and neighboring ethnic groups whose settlement area is located in northern Nigeria and southern Niger. For centuries, the kakaki is used at the royal courts in the ceremonial music and as a signaling instrument.

Design and style of play

The kakaki consists of a thin, 1.5 to 3 meters long, straight tube of brass, copper or, more recently, mostly from the sheet of Petroleum canisters. The end of the separable into two parts cylindrical tube expands into a bell. The mouthpiece is funnel-shaped with narrow edge and is directly connected to the tube. The kakaki can produce a fifth apart two low tones about, the lower of the two tones is about C. A third sound is a semitone lower, but it is rarely used.

Kakakis be in the palace orchestra usually in pairs gangan together with the questionable time cylinder drum and played the algaita, a related with the Asian surnais double reed instrument. Instead of gangan came European travel reports, until the early 20th century, the boiler drum Tambari ( related to the Arab naqqara ) are used. Solo game is rare, frequently occur four or more trumpets at the same time. In this case, one by one semitone down tuned trumpet takes the lead while the other answer in chorus. Farai is another endgeblasene trumpet the Hausa of wood, which is usually played with drums or in ensemble with the kakaki. There are also the side -blown trumpet kaho and clapperless, battered with a wooden mallet iron bell kuge.

Origin and Distribution

Since the 15th century, the name given to the longest West African metal trumpet is kakaki or similar. As Zeremonialinstrument is the trumpet to the east and south of the Niger, to the north and the center of Nigeria, played around Lake Chad and in parts of the Central African Republic. Metalltompeten have their origin in the Middle East. The Roman tuba from the 1st century and metal trumpets Egyptian military bands of the 14th century could be the precursor to pictures of African instruments. The latter belong to the medieval Arab war trumpets Buq whose name and function has spread among other things, to the Georgian buki.

On two possible ways the metal trumpets could have come to the Hausa: either they came directly from the north, with and without the mediation of the Songhai, or initially they came up the Nile and then through Kanem -Bornu west. If the latter is true, would the eastern domination centers have possessed before the Hausa metal trumpets. From the Middle Ages no concrete evidence is available to do so. As European travelers encountered in Kanem -Bornu wooden trumpets beginning of the 19th century, it is unlikely that it previously gave trumpets made ​​of metal there. This leaves for the Hausa only the reference of the trumpets directly from the north.

The African trumpets have probably received their ceremonial function in the representation orchestra with the establishment of Islamic sultanates. In the 15th and 16th centuries the kakaki came with the spread of Songhai eich of his capital Gao on the Niger to the east into the settlement area of the Hausa and up to Lake Chad. In the 17th century, the rulers took over the Hausa states the kakaki in their court ceremonies. After the Fulani leader Usman dan Fodio the beginning of the 19th century had conquered the Hausa states by force, the kakaki and the associated ceremonies found their way to the rulers of the Fulbe. The kakaki replaced earlier trumpets made ​​of wood or pipe or played together with them.

The name is probably derived kakaki onomatopoeic from the strong, choppy play. In Nigeria Nupe use the word Kakati, Edo say kaki, similar word formations in the Lake Chad Kanuri and Fulani in the north of Cameroon loud Kaschi, gaschi, gachi and gatschi. A similar in form and function, two -meter-long trumpet in Benin called kankangui or kankanki.

The kakaki nafir is used in design and sound with the Moroccan, 1.5 -meter-long trumpet, which is known by that name there since the 11th century, as well as with the Central Asian long brass trumpet karna. The nafir brought the Moors from Spain in the 14th century to Fez. The instrument of military music was the time a religious function by resounded from the minarets at night during Ramadan. In contrast to kakaki generates the nafir only a sound.

Cultural Significance

Generally Trumpets in northern Islamized Africa a symbol of dignity and rulers are in relationship with the monarchy. They are played exclusively by men, and only on ritual occasions such as the announcement of the ruler. They are tied to the person of a chief who has the orchestra with trumpets and drums.

The kakaki and other African trumpets are to be distinguished from being played in West Africa brass instruments that have been introduced by European colonization and meet since then in large sheet brass bands of local dynasties similar representative functions. In honor of the Sultan and the assurance of his political authority the kakakis were blown to certain court ceremonies of mounted musicians. This honor can also send the Emir, village leaders and other dignitaries. In Chad, ie the ceremonial trumpet used in a similar manner the same type waza; also with the wood, one meter long trumpet Malakat in Ethiopia was reported earlier, the arrival of the king. The several calabashes composite waza Berta on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia was also a grand status symbol.

An Islamic dynasties, there was next to the kakaki musicians more Hofensembles with other instruments that the structured daily schedule ( ranging from morning drum - alarm clocks for the ruler ), were used for ceremonies and were employed for entertainment.

The two tones of kakaki a musical tone language is formed in Nigeria, which can be translated into words. These are songs of praise for the head, in the simplest form is given by the pattern, deep - low-high exclamation ga Sirki ("Here is the king " ), which is repeated several times by the kakaki. The words ga -shih ( "look at him !"), Blown with the arrival of a high visit, may have been eponymous for the trumpet gaschi. This musical reputation was first described in 1857 by Heinrich Barth. Order as befitting to announce the arrival, had a modern Emir the horn of his vehicle to the corresponding sounds right.