Pungi
The pungi ( Hindi, spelling variations Pugi, ponga, Pongi ), also am Mahudi, Tamil: magudi; is a traditional single-reed instrument in India. She is known primarily as a means of snake charmers. In popular Indian music it is occasionally used as Borduninstrument.
Design and style of play
The 30 to 60 centimeters long wind instrument consists of two parts of approximately equal length. A dried gourd or more rarely a coconut shell form a wind-cap. Through a hole in the thin end of the calabash, the breathing air is delivered evenly on two thin bamboo or reed pipes ' ( jivala ) that are pushed on the opposite bulbous end through another hole in the gourd inside. The game tubes are first cut into shape, then cooked together with rice in water, rubbed with coconut oil, and finally dried in the sun. The two sides stuck together or bonded cylindrical pipes tubes are now attached and sealed to the wind-cap with beeswax.
The sound generated by a tongue, which has been exposed at the upper end of the sound tube by a semi-oval section longitudinally of the tube wall. This result is an integrated, ideoglottes reed. In some instruments, the tabs are located at the smaller diameter tube, which were inserted into the upper ends of the sound tubes, and are thus not integrated. The reeds are concealed inside the wind capsule.
Instead of a long neck gourd can be recognized also a lathed wooden mouthpiece. A wind-cap from a coconut requires a wooden mouthpiece in any case.
The tongue as a valve regulates the airstream, the pitch is determined by the length of the pipes pipes. The designation as " flute " is a misnomer because of the different tone of both types of instruments. In the right-hand tube of the pungi up to nine holes are usually six, rarely bored or burned; left tube has only one ( or two ) holes clogged with wax to the underside. The player is operated with the right hand the handle holes and produces the melody, while the left pipe delivers a constant low drone to it. If the hole of the drone left open, one by one second higher tone is produced.
Pungis are basically the main tones ( svaras ) of the South Indian Raga Punnagavarali voted, is a modification of the Raga Hanumatodi, which dates from the 8th century and one of the basic ragas of the South Indian classification melas. As in the Indian shehnai oboe and other reed instruments circular breathing is practiced. Only uniform vigorous bubbles creates the typical nasal and sharp sound that can not be influenced and which alone the deaf snakes can unimpressed.
Origin and Distribution
Double clarinets with similar tongue were found in Egyptian tombs of the 1st century BC. In the ancient Egyptian clarinet as-it the artificial wind-cap is missing, as well as their spread in North Africa and the Middle East successors, the double-pipe wind instrument Arghul, zummara and Mashura. These are structurally the simplest, but the most difficult to play clarinets, as the wind-cap must be made through the oral cavity. A similar slender bamboo clarinet with double tube in Bengal called murali (Hindi and Sanskrit: murali or Murli called " Flute " in general). The pungi provides these tools towards an evolution dar.
The wind-cap amplifies the sound and stores it but does not regulate the air flow, what needs to happen in the mouth. The Out of the desire to keep the blowing pressure evenly upright, the wind-cap of solid material was consistently replaced by a flexible leather bag. This bagpipe has its origins in the ancient Mediterranean. The south Indian variant shruti Upanga from a goatskin bag, a short crook and a pipe with a single-reed and side holes are just a drone, while the North Indian bagpipe mashq or Masak ( Sanskrit: nagabaddha ) a melodic instrument, but as the Southeast Asian variants has become extremely rare. The Indian bagpipe was called by the British colonialists in the 19th century to distinguish it from the country brought its own bagpipes pungi. It was blown at weddings and joyous occasions like.
Because of the wind capsules can pungis be held for a preform simple Asian mouth organs such as the played in Laos khaen their outer appearance. Primitive gourd mouth organs in Northeast India with six pipes into two groups called Khung or rusem. However, the operating principle of the tongues of these gourd instruments, so the tone and consequently the play are completely different. The mouth organ Rasem consisting of a gourd with a crook and seven chanters is from the northeastern Indian state of Tripura known.
Variants in India
The type of instrument is in South Asia, not only in snake charmers, but also in the traditional dance music and in processions as the melody and Borduninstrument ( shruti ) used in the latter case with only one game tube. The name pungi or pangra is derived from Hindi ponga ( " hollow", hence " tube " or " pipe " ) and is common in North India, Punjabi and the name binjogi ( " am the Magician" ). Nagbin means "snake -bin". The snake itself is also called pungi. In Sanskrit an earlier instrument called tiktiri. The word is derived from Sanskrit 'm vina, an old generic term for stringed instruments, partly for musical instruments in general. Tumba The North Indian names, tumbi and Tomra mean " calabash ". Tumbi otherwise is the common name in Uttar Pradesh for the calabash plucking drum ektara. In Bengal the name sapurer basi ( " Schlangenbeschwörerpfeife " ) appears.
The Company groups of snake charmers generally hot Garudi, in northern India also Sapera. The regional designation for the Schlangenbeschwörerinstrument in Gujarat is Mahudi. In rural areas of Gujarat and the people of the Warli in Maharashtra ie a similar instrument with horn tarpu ( tarpo ) or ghonga. During ceremonies for rice crop occurred there in the evening hundreds of Tarpu players in the circle of dancing villagers on. Other names, depending on the size of the instruments are khongada and Dobru. In Rajasthan folk dances are performed, accompanied by the box of Kalbelia and Jogi with vocals and on a pungi and percussion instruments like the dhol or a thali (metal -to-metal dinner plate ). Women of Kalbelia in colorful, snakes performing costumes imitate their dances in their movements. The musicians of the group Dhoad have become known through concerts in Europe.
Snake charmers have their big show at the annual Hindu Festival of Naga Panchami, which is celebrated almost all over the country on the occasion of the victory of Krishna over the Kaliya serpent. Snakes are a symbol of life energy and growth. In the temples before images of the cosmic serpent Vasuki milk and rice is sacrificed; with their cobras itinerant snake charmers in woven baskets begging for alms and clothing.
Members of the Hindu sect of Kanphate wander about as beggars. You are Shiva - trailers, as followers of the Nath cult she hot Nanpathi and because of their pierced with a metal ring ears Kanphate ( " slotted ears "). Some beg and keep monkeys or snakes. They play pungi and do not eat unless they do not have the pungi blown.
The South Indian magudi is slightly smaller than the North Indian instrument. For South Indian folk dance theater Yakshagana in Karnataka belonged from the 17th century musical accompaniment consisting of two drums ( Maddale and chande ), a pungi as Borduninstrument and a singer. To the north of this state other gods stories are usually listed from the Mahabharata as a puppet theater and mridangam with the barrel drum, Handzimbeln ( manjira ), otta ( Borduninstrument, a Nadaswaram without finger holes ) accompanied, harmonium and pungi. Only the name has the South Indian Nadaswaram, also Nagaswaram of the mythological serpent Naga, a double reed instrument it is, as the North Indian shehnai, not related to the snake summoning pungi. In Tamil Nadu, the double clarinet is known as makuti (also pambatti Kulal ).