Kisanji
Encyclopedia
Kisanji is the name given to the lamellaphone
of the Ngala
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. It is also known as sanza
and is played by holding the instrument in both hands and plucking the keys with the thumbs. The pitch of each metal key is determined by the width of the key. Most often the placement of the keys is symmetrical, with the lowest keys in the middle and the higher keys on each end of the instrument. The most common tuning is the pentatonic scale
without semitones, for example do re mi sol la, which varies by region. The music played on the sanza is polyrhythmic with overlapping rhythms. The instrument is often used to accompany the voice, to great effect. The keys are attached to a sounding board by metal strips or wires and placed over a gourd
or clay resonator
of varying sizes. The number of keys varies by region, as well. Within each region the instrument can take on a variety of shapes. The sanza
in the accompanying photo has a resonator made from a turtle shell that has been attached to the sounding board with natural fibers.
Lamellaphone
A lamellophone is any of a family of musical instruments. The name comes from the Latin word "lamella" for "plate" and the Greek root "phonos" for "sound"...
of the Ngala
Ngala
Ngala is a local government area of Borno State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Gamboru Ngala.It has an area of 1,465 km² and a population of 237,071 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 611.- Geology :...
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. It is also known as sanza
Sanza
Sanza is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southern Italy.-History:It is a small town placed on a hill surrounded by lots of mountains....
and is played by holding the instrument in both hands and plucking the keys with the thumbs. The pitch of each metal key is determined by the width of the key. Most often the placement of the keys is symmetrical, with the lowest keys in the middle and the higher keys on each end of the instrument. The most common tuning is the pentatonic scale
Pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave in contrast to a heptatonic scale such as the major scale and minor scale...
without semitones, for example do re mi sol la, which varies by region. The music played on the sanza is polyrhythmic with overlapping rhythms. The instrument is often used to accompany the voice, to great effect. The keys are attached to a sounding board by metal strips or wires and placed over a gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
or clay resonator
Resonator
A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance or resonant behavior, that is, it naturally oscillates at some frequencies, called its resonant frequencies, with greater amplitude than at others. The oscillations in a resonator can be either electromagnetic or mechanical...
of varying sizes. The number of keys varies by region, as well. Within each region the instrument can take on a variety of shapes. The sanza
Sanza
Sanza is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southern Italy.-History:It is a small town placed on a hill surrounded by lots of mountains....
in the accompanying photo has a resonator made from a turtle shell that has been attached to the sounding board with natural fibers.
External links
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Holding_an_mbira_dzavadzimu.jpg/300px-Holding_an_mbira_dzavadzimu.jpg hailing from The Democratic Republic of the Congo Samba Ngo learned to play the Kisanji as a child in the small village of Dibula in The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Sansa located at University of South DakotaUniversity of South DakotaThe University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current...
, originating in LoangoLoangoLoango may refer to:* Loango National Park, a national park in Western Gabon* Petit Loango, a town in Gabon* Kingdom of Loango, a pre-colonial state in what is now the Republic of Congo* Loango, a schooner wrecked in 1909 at St Ives, Cornwall...
Democratic Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. - Tyitanzi located at University of South DakotaUniversity of South DakotaThe University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current...
, originating in AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
.
