Kenken (bell)
Kenken is an African iron bell (also Bambara or Malinké bell) that is traditionally used in conjunction with dunun drums and djembes . She plays in West African music, for example B. in the musical culture of the Ewe , a central role.
Design
The bell is forged from one piece of steel and consists of two uniform bell halves that are connected to each other by a bar. They are available in different, longer or wider forms and the resulting different pitches. The kenken is usually attached to a dunun , with the lower half of the bell connected to the tension cords of the drum.
Style of play
The kenken is played with a metal pen (often a nail, screwdriver, etc.), which gives the typical sound rich in overtones. While the (lying) drum is beaten with the right hand, the left hand plays polyrhythmic structures on the kenken . The Kenken play a continuous rhythmic basic pattern on which the bass melodies are built.
Occasionally, several different tuned kenken are tied on a dunun. The bell is also played individually, then it is held in the left hand.
Web links
- Kenken demonstration (video)
- Fe rhythms on Dundun drum with Kenken (video)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ruth Stone: The Garland Handbook of African Music . Routledge, 2015, ISBN 978-1-138-13329-7 .
- ↑ Djembe and Dunun (the bass drums) have been conquering the entire globe with their music since the 80s. Retrieved June 8, 2017 .