卿 听我说故事

Ngombi Na Peke

- most beautiful of the Baka's instruments.

- "ngombi" = generic term ( e.g guitar = ngombi )

- can be 1 or 2 meter long.

- 4 strings arched over bridge in centre making 8 seperate notes .

- played on lap, 1 hand plucking to left of the bridge; the other plucking the string to the right.

- music usually in repetitive patterns that accompany singing.

- sounds hyptonic and magical when played at night, accompanied by sounds of insects and Baka's gentle voice.

- similar to "mvet" / "midnight harp" found in forests further north in cameroon.

- strings of both ngombi and mvet made from fibres that found in stem of the palm used to make body.
.. use wire strings which they unravel from their snare cables in today's life
.. gives instrument different tone and strings last longer.

= FULL VERSION =

The ngombi is probably the most beautiful of the Baka's instruments. "Ngombi" is to a certain extent a generic term. For example they will call a guitar a "ngombi". The full name for the instrument I am about to describe is the "ngombi na pekeh" or the "ngombi made from the raphia palm" which indeed it is.

The ngombi can be anything from about one and a half to three metres long. They have four strings with a bridge in the centre making 8 separate notes. It is played on the lap, one hand plucking the strings to the left of the bridge, the other plucking the strings to the right.

The music is usually repetetive patterns that accompany singing. When played at night accompanied by the songs of the insects and the Baka's gentle voices it is a very hypnotic magical instrument. It is very similar to the "mvet" or "midnight harp" that is found in the forests further north in Cameroon. The strings of both the ngombi and the mvet are traditionally made from fibres that are found in the stem of the rafia palm used to make the body, but today often they use wire strings which they unravel from their snare cable. This gives the instrument a different tone and the strings last longer.