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Encyclopedia ID 186

Adungu

Also known as arched harp

Adungu: photograph by Ssemmanda will
Photo: Ssemmanda will, CC BY-SA 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons

Pluck the strings of a bow harp in time with falling notes in the pentatonic scale and add a drum bass voice.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Uganda. 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: Great Lakes and Indian Ocean.

Sources

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