Mvet

Play the mvet by plucking strings on both sides of a bridge while opening and closing the resonators with the chest to shape the melody.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea. Some forms of this practice carry deep meaning for the communities who keep it; here we describe the play and the craft only, with respect for its roots.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Africa: Sahel, West and Central.