Nigeria's traditional music boasts a diverse array of instruments, each deeply rooted in the nation's rich cultural heritage. These instruments play integral roles in various aspects of Nigerian life, from religious ceremonies to social gatherings and musical performances.
Many instruments are integral to music across West Africa, while others are imports from the Muslims of the Maghreb, or from Southern or East Africa; other instruments have arrived from Europe or the Americas. Brass instruments and woodwinds were early imports that played a vital role in the development of Nigerian music, while the later importation of electric guitars spurred the popularisation of jùjú music.
Though some of these instruments have become popular outside of Africa-shekere, for example, are used in the North Carolina elementary music education curriculum-many others are largely unnoticed outside of their communities in diaspora. This exhibit highlights many of these other instrument types.
Stringed Instruments
Africa is home to instruments of every family. Stringed instruments such as the plucked West African kora, the bowed Ugandan endingidi, and the South African musical bow, provide an array of melodic options, as do a variety of wooden xylophones.
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The Kora
The kora is a stringed instrument played throughout West Africa by traditional musicians, poets, and storytellers called jali or griots. The instrument is played by plucking its 21 strings with the thumb and index finger of both hands, allowing four notes to be played at the same time. The sound resonates in a skin-covered calabash gourd.
Musical Bow
The musical bow is found in Nigeria as a mouth-resonated cord, either plucked or struck. It is most common in the central part of the country and is associated with agricultural songs and those expressing social concerns.
Idiophones
Mbira, instruments sounded by plucking small metal lamellae, are emblematic of the southern range of the continent. Shakers and rattles, both worn for dancing and played separately, are found across the continent; some are made with natural materials, such as seeds and gourds, while others are made of metal.
The Agogo
The Agogo is an important African traditional musical instrument of the idiophone family. It comes in various sizes and shapes, which thus translates to the type of tone quality and pitch that would be achieved on the musical instrument. The sizes and shapes also vary across regions and locations and are being used in different modes.
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The Agogo has diverse names across cultures and ethnicities and is attributed to different deities like Ifa, Osun, and Igbe. It is being used during traditional marriages, burial proceedings, and local band performances. In recent times, it has been adapted for use in Christian worship, especially in churches located in rural areas and churches known as the African Church.
The Igbo of the Eastern part of Nigeria use a bigger size of the Yoruba Agogo, which is called Alo. In the South-South region of Nigeria, the Urhobo people group use it in worship during traditional and cultural worship and song presentations, and it is also called The Agogo.
Xylophone
The xylophone is a tuned idiophone, common throughout west and central Africa. In Nigeria, they are most common in the southern part of the country and are of the central African model. Several musicians sometimes simultaneously play a single xylophone.
The instruments are usually made of loose wood placed across banana logs. Pit- and box-resonated xylophones are also found. They are usually made of iron, or in Islamic orchestras of the north, of bronze.
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Membranophones
Talking Drum
Among them is the Talking Drum a Membranophone classification of African instruments found among the Yorubas. It is a lovely instrument that could talk because it makes three tones (doh me soh) and as a result, communicates, and also makes rhythm.
Worshipers do enjoy it in that it makes them dance a lot. It is noticed that some worshipers are not fulfilled or satisfied until they hear the sound of talking drums during worship. That invariably suggests that some prefer it to western musical instruments such as the keyboard, guitar, etc. It requires good training to be able to play it well.
Talking drum is used to accompany praises, hymns, choir renditions, and thanksgiving.
Aerophones
Flutes and horns, the latter associated with hunting traditions, round out the category of blown instruments.
Oja Flute
The oja is an end-blown flute with two holes set perpendicular to the barrel. It produces a high-pitched sound that varies based on the size of the instrument-this example is relatively small and produces a higher note. Though it was made by a Yoruba instrument-maker, similar flutes are made in other cultures throughout Nigeria.
Algaita
The algaita is an ancient instrument of the Hausa and Kanuri people in Nigeria. It is classified as a double reed wind instrument, meaning that the sound is produced by blowing through two vibrating pieces of cut reed. Musicians can use circular breathing techniques to play a continuous droning sound.
Other Notable Instruments
Ekwe (Slit Drum)
The ekwe, or slit drum, is a percussion instrument used in Igbo musical traditions. It is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk and is played with wooden beaters struck around the rectangular openings. By changing the position of the strike relative to the opening, the player changes the pitch.
Nigerian Rattles
Rattles made of gourds containing seeds or stones are common, as are net-rattles, in which a string network of beads or shells encloses a gourd. They are traditionally made from a single piece of wood or spherical calabashes, but have more recently been made from oil drums.
Udu Drum
An unusual percussion instrument is the udu, a kind of vessel drum. The udu is a Nigerian clay drum that evolved from a water jug with another hole in the side. It was created many years ago by Igbo women who used it as a musical instrument for ceremonial occasions. Many modern versions of the udu are being produced today.
| Instrument | Classification | Cultural Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Talking Drum | Membranophone | Yoruba instrument used for communication and rhythm in worship and social events. |
| Agogo | Idiophone | Used in traditional marriages, burials, and adapted for Christian worship, especially in rural areas. |
| Kora | Stringed Instrument | Played by traditional musicians, poets, and storytellers throughout West Africa. |
| Ekwe | Percussion | Used in Igbo musical traditions, made from a hollowed-out tree trunk. |
| Udu | Percussion | Nigerian clay drum evolved from a water jug, used in ceremonial occasions. |
These instruments, along with many others, contribute to the rich and diverse musical landscape of Nigeria, each carrying its own unique history, cultural significance, and role in community life.
