EAST AFRICAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
African music has always been in flux due to regional cultural exchange and development. Therefore, distinguishing between a more or less historically unchanged "traditional" music and music added since colonial times is not meaningful and would also neglect the centuries-long, strong influence of Arabic music.
Musical styles and instruments are not associated with individual ethnic groups, but rather with regions that are not defined by national borders.
The common European division into "classical" music and popular music is not applicable to Africa. The music of royal courts, music accompanying rituals, and popular music exist side-by-side without value judgment. Music accompanies everyday life as well as festivals and significant events.
In African cultures, music has a social function in certain contexts. For example, it is used in initiation ceremonies to impart knowledge to the initiates. Myths and legends are accompanied by music during recitations, and secular rulers use it to emphasize their social standing and authority. Funeral rituals are also often accompanied by music. A special form of music is the transmission of messages through drumming. In addition, music serves for relaxation, recreation, and entertainment.
Dance is inextricably linked to music; many African languages and dialects have only a single word for it. The music for specific occasions is prescribed. Improvisation is only possible to a certain extent and must be limited so that the language of the instruments remains understandable to everyone.
Since many languages on the African continent are tonal languages (pitch determines the meaning of a word), listeners can discern texts from instrumental sequences. This is especially true for West African "talking drums", which can be used to communicate words and even entire sentences.
The repetition of patterns (rhythmic or melodic figures) is an essential component of African music; musicians and listeners can sometimes reach trance-like states through it.
In East African music, playing musical instruments remains the domain of men. Women dance and sing to the men's instrumental playing, while men participate in dancing, singing, and playing instruments. Recently, some women's groups have emerged that perform dances or songs traditionally reserved for men.
Music as a spiritual language
The traditional belief systems of the African continent are often animistic. The natural, animate world is closely connected to the supernatural world, and the two worlds communicate primarily through music.
Significant milestones in an individual's life are linked to rituals in which music plays a major role, as ancestors and spirits understand not the "language of humans", but only the language of music. At social events such as the harvest, the hunt, or the inauguration of religious and secular rulers, the beings of the supernatural world are also involved through music.
The role of music in Islamic religions depends heavily on the interpretation of religious texts and cultural practice. Music is an expression of joy and can be a path to closeness to God (e.g., in Sufism); other schools of thought view it as a source of distraction, with personal choice playing a significant role.
Musical Instruments Commonly Used in East Africa
Some musical instruments are designed for specific purposes, such as ancestor worship, while other - for example, certain types of drums - are used universally. Musical instruments are often recognizable as cultural imports, such as the oboe in Tanzania, which was adopted from Arabic music.
The special exhibition focuses on the area in East Africa relevant to the field of activity of the Benedictine missionaries. The following section presents examples of musical instruments still found specifically in Tanzania.
According to the standard classification system, the instruments are divided into four groups:
Chordophones (stringed instruments)
Instruments with one or more strings that are plucked or set into vibration with a bow. The instrument usually has a soundbox.
Bow lyre (litungu)
Bow lyre (litungu) 
Lyre with a round resonator and wooden yoke arms and a leather cover, painted dark brown.
The lyre is played while seated on the ground, the strings being plucked with the fingers. The instrument is accompanied by a wooden stick to which several metal jingles are attached.
One end of the stick is attached to the lyre, the other is held by the player between the toes of their right foot, which they stamp on the ground.
Bow harp (kinubi)
Bow harp (kinubi) 
The instrument primarily found in eastern and central Tanzania.
Strings are attached to the wooden body, which is covered with leather containing remnants of animal hide.
The other end of the strings is held by tuning pegs on the curved neck. Bow harps have 5-8 strings; the instrument on display is of more recent origin, as it is strung with metal strings.
Tubular lute (zeze)
Tubular lute (zeze) 
The instrument with one string is held vertically while playing. The tones are produced with a bow made of bamboo or wood, strung with sisal cord or a metal string.
The blackened soundbox is carved thinly from soft wood and covered with reptile skin, which is attached with wooden pegs. A rectangular sound opening is located on the right side of the body.
A peg, around which the string is wound and can be shortened by twisting, is inserted into a hole at the rear end of the bamboo stick that passes through the soundbox.
A metal stamp bearing the inscription "Bristol London" is affixed to the bottom as decoration.
Float zither
Float zither 
Seven dark brown reed stalks, each 2 cm in diameter, arranged side by side, form the body. The five inner stalks are cut out on the back by about two-thirds of their length.
A rod is inserted through holes drilled at both ends, over which six strings, made from a single plant fiber cord, run back and forth across the raft. A cord wrapped several times around one end of the raft protects the ends from tearing.
The pitch can be varied by sliding the bridges located beneath the strings. A thin bamboo strip ensures the distance between the strings and the stalks.
Membranophones (drums)
Membranophones are instruments in which a membrane is permanently attached to a soundbox; the sound is percussive and rhythmic. The drum is the typical example of a membranophone.
Drums are carved by men from a tree trunk. The inside is hollowed out using a spearhead, which is twisted with the hands as when rubbing fire. The membrane is usually made of cow or goat hide and is stretched wet.
Some drums were used only on specific occasions such as birth, marriage, or death and, after use, were carefully stored in a specific place, serving only that purpose.
The interplay of music and dance at various community events is called ngoma throughout Tanzania. Drums, also called ngoma, are almost always used. The Bantu term ngoma for drum and dance has a broader meaning. The driving force of the rhythm instrument gives the dancer the feeling of being possessed or inspired; therefore, ngoma also means spirit or healer.
Pedestal drum
Pedestal drum 
Drumstick
Drumstick 
Hourglass drum
Hourglass drum 
A light-colored, carved hourglass drum with a side handle. The drumhead is attached to the sides with wooden pegs.
The body consists of two opposing truncated cones. During the dance, the dancers hold it by the handle with one hand and strike it with the other.
In some dances, the drum is also held between the legs and struck with both hands.
Small drum (engoma)
Small drum (engoma) 
Goblet drum
Goblet drum 
