The mini tale kigamba, kibege, Gîîthooguo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGGLR72jCIw

We go to central Kenya to take a look at the Gîîthooguo/Kĩgamba instrument which is played by the Agĩkũyũ/Gĩkũyũ community, a Bantu ethnic group native to East Africa Central Kenya. At a population of 8,148,668 as of 2019, they account for 17.13% of the total population of Kenya, making them one of Kenya's largest ethnic groups. 

Gîîthooguo is a large percussive rattle instrument tied on the ankle. It is fabricated from a metal tin measuring approximately 19.05cm diameter and a smaller version is called kîbege pronounced “kifege”. To prepare the metal tin and tune it, you need to burn it using fire to get rid of the paint.

It is still observed that recycled tins from cooking oil, cocoa drinking chocolate tins are widely used for the smaller version kîbege. People often refer to kîbege as kîgamba.

In the earlier days, precolonial gîîthooguo was made from dried hide, possibly from cows, it is then softened and molded to the size and shape desired by the player. To soften and make it easier to work on the skin a rock/stone used for scratching the feet when showering could be used for hitting it. After it dried pebbles are collected from rivers and placed inside to produce the sound. With this kind of material the sound produced has more lows which might be favoured.

Initially the community is thought to have put rocks inside. Colonisation brought glass bottles of alcohol and soda/soft drinks bottles which the instrument makers are thought to break the glass into pieces and replace the rocks with the glass pieces. It was argued that the sound was much more pleasing, possibly softer than the rocks. There has been a continuous discovery of materials used for fabricating both gîîthooguo and kîbege instruments from rocks, broken glasses, small nails to now small recycled bicycle bearings. Some makers also experimented using dried seeds from birds of paradise plants to produce desired rattle sound. The change in materials implies that there has been a constant evolution in the sound of both gîîthooguo and kîbege instruments. It is observed that the one used in mucung’wa dance is a fabricated tin that appears to be square or rectangle shaped towards the side that is attached to the leg.

Gîîthooguo is thought to accompany songs like mucung’wa and ngucu which had versions or lyrics based on different age groups. There was ngucu for children, teenagers, youths, nearly married and married couples. Married couples are thought to have different versions similar to mucung’wa. Other songs include kibuyia and kibuyia kia thage, the latter is for the young ones nearing their rite of passage but couldn’t tell their parents their interest in wanting to undergo initiation. They would rather gather together and compose a song that has lyrics to communicate to the parents about the next rite of passage.  These songs were crucial to letting their parents know that they were ready to excite one group into another.

Cultural practices, sharing and bonding plays a big role in instilling a sense of identity and belonging. To continue playing facilitates direct learning through body rhythmic skills such as musical instrument patterns, language structure and learning about dress code. Songs, games and dances were some common elements used in rights of passage practices and is an educational tool. Children start to experience their roots at the foot of their mothers. We can arguably say that African instruments, folk stories, myths, tales and music in general is integral to its community.

While Gîîthooguo/Kĩgamba is instrumental to the cultural fabric of the Agĩkũyũ community, their music begins early in life. From birth through to childhood, teenagehood and finally to adulthood, you would experience different types of songs and body movements that emphasize different stages from babies crawling, children’s participatory songs and games. Phrases, such as Njahĩ nĩ njũku, ũkai tũkoone mũgeni are used during birth celebration to singing songs like kĩng’uru mwana arĩ naũ, Ena Kĩng’ethũ  which advances to children’s dance, games like Marombo which is done while in a circle and squatting. This would advance to the Cũcũ dance that involves a hobbling character, an elderly woman and other actors. The elderly woman plays a role in which she offers to the hobbling character the other actors in the form of goats.

Irua - Circumcision is paramount in ushering young ones to adulthood. It is a civic and religious rite. A set routine of ceremonies would be carried to guide the young individuals to their next stage in the community. Months to the actual day, those deemed to be ready would be seen in body paints. Around their waist they would wear thira and goats skins strips tied around their head and legs while the body remains exposed. To express their readiness, boys would sing songs such as Mũthuũ, a call to old folks signifying that they are ready to be circumcised. It is observed that different stages in Agĩkũyũ community call for specific songs and dances like Thaage which are usually in pentatonic scale strictly practiced by women in preparation for food on the eve of a ceremony. Another one is urĩgu wa airĩtu accompanied by rattles - Gîîthooguo, here two soloists lead as they alternate, then to Matuumo songs which usually run throughout the day to express the unpleasant experience they are about to undergo. To regain strength Ngurũ is performed after eight days. Waine songs are accompanied by a bundle of sticks called mũcee. This song which is danced to in a circle marks the end of childhood. Kĩbaata is a rhythmic dance that is considered to be reserved for after circumcision probably a year later. When all stages are completed these energetic boys and girls enter into manhood and womanhood. At this stage, a sense of freedom within the boundaries of social norms are observed as both genders dance together. An example would be in the Gĩcukia dance. A level of restriction is applied when the seniors and initiates mingle. For a boy in initiation to be allowed to dance with a young lady, he would need to offer a goat to the seniors, if this is refused then the new warrior is despised and would be referred to kĩhĩĩ, in this context meaning a stupid uncircumcised boy. 

It is important to mention that the above songs and dances are mostly performed by boys though sometimes feature girls in their respective stages. However, there are also dances exclusively for ladies such as Kiĩmoto where hands are used to clap rhythmically in time with the song while dancing with legs close together. Werũ dance is thought to be in sections. It goes through different timings starting with a fractional pick up then continues to six quaver a bar then pause for a period of at least three bars to then loops back. It goes to two crotchet beats to the end. Ihĩndĩ rĩmwe is another dance that has elements of circles, row shapes with hands engagements on hips and holding tight as they respond to mũkui - soloist. It might sometimes be blended with Ũrathi, another song, where ladies kneel in a circle as they firmly touch the ground while beating it to the rhythm. The Gĩtiiro song and dance is reserved for married women only. In this instance, there is less dance if we think of dance as a choreographed sequence. It is more spontaneous and includes elements of rhythmic gesticulations involving head and body. In the Agĩkũyũ community married women are classed according to the different stages of motherhood. This dance is practiced by: Mutumia wa Kang’ei, mother of small children, up to the Mutumia wa nyakĩnyua whose children have got married and are honored with decorated earlobes hang’i. Mutumia wa Nyakĩnyua is the last stage before graduating to Mutumia wa Kiheti, the wise stage.

We've briefly looked at fundamentals and the foundation of the community in which Gîîthooguo is likely to be used and introduced to the young at different stages and how it develops in communication. According to the sources consulted we are lacking information regarding the impact of this instrument in cultural practices that involved men after circumcision and to some extent girls before becoming mothers. Of course this may need some further literature search before we assume any conclusion. Was this an omission by the author and why? Is this due to lack of information on the subject, lack of research or simply that Gîîthooguo are not prevalent in the practices in the stage of a girl or man’s life. 

Let’s now look at the fabrication of the Kĩgamba instrument. 

There has been some evolution in materials used for this instrument, supposedly the fabrication process shifted too. The process is thought to involve a foundry sand to make a mold into which molten metal is poured into for making the instrument then shaped after recycled bicycle bearings are placed inside and wrapped on skin ready to be played. 

It should be noted that people often refer to kibege as kîgamba. In the early days of postcolonial Kenya when music was being introduced in schools, some might not have had the capacity of having blacksmith tutors to teach the making of the kîgamba instruments thus the teachers are thought to have created  an alternative way of making kîgamba instrument using tin cans which were much easier for the students to fold resulting to identity shift from kîbege to kîgamba.   

Traditional dances that are thought to be associated with kîgamba are:

​Kîbuîya dance for kids which is known as children’s first dance in a Kikuyu community of which they tie the small tin rattle on their right leg to stamp as an accompaniment.

Nguthia is a popular kids song that they sing to congratulate the older folks' and parents on a good harvest. 

Ngucu dance for both children and young ones would be accompanied using a little rattle or best known as njingiri that takes the form of kîgamba instrument, boys and girls in a circle and the soloist is known as mukui.

The big question would be before adaptation to the use of tins for fabrication of the instrument what materials did the community use?

Thu Tinda!!!

If you are interested in learning more about Agĩkũyũ community check out the authors below.

Other references.

George W. Senoga - Zake 1986 - Folk music of Kenya   

Mr. Wanjambi of Rûhia Cultural group                               

Oral literature 1990, 2008 -  Leteipa Ole Sunkuli and Simon Okumba Miruka.             

Facebook - Kikuyu Council of Elders