Ingabe Izigubhu Zase-Afrika Ziyakhuluma Ngempela?

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eNigeria

PHAKATHI nohambo lwakhe ewuka uMfula iCongo ngo-1876 no-1877, umhloli wamazwe uHenry Stanley wayengenalo ithuba lokuzindla ngobuhle bobuciko bendawo bokushaywa kwezigubhu. Kuyena nakubantu ayehamba nabo, isigijimi salezi zigubhu ngokuvamile sasingafingqwa ngezwi elilodwa: impi. Umsindo wezigubhu abawuzwa wawusho ukuthi base bezohlaselwa amabutho ayizidlova ahlome ngemikhonto.

UStanley wathola ezikhathini zakamuva ezinokuthula ukuthi izigubhu zazingasho okungaphezu kokumemezela ukungena kwempi. Echaza olunye uhlanga olwaluhlala ngaseCongo, uStanley wabhala: “[Alukabi] nalo ikhono lokudlulisa imiyalezo ngogesi kodwa-ke lunesimiso sokuxhumana esiphumelela ngendlela efanayo. Izigubhu zalo ezinkulu ezishaywa ezingxenyeni ezihlukene zidlulisela kwabanekhono ulimi olucace njengolimi olukhulunywayo.” UStanley waqaphela ukuthi abashayi bezigubhu babethumela okungaphezu nje komsindo wecilongo noma wenhlabamkhosi; izigubhu zazingadlulisa izigijimi ezithile.

Izigijimi ezinjalo zazingadluliselwa emizaneni ngemizana. Ezinye izigubhu zazizwakala ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-8 kuya kwangu-11, ikakhulukazi uma zishaywa ebusuku esihlengeni esintantayo noma esiqongweni segquma. Abashayi bezigubhu abakude babelalela, baqonde okushiwoyo, bese bedlulisela izigijimi kwabanye. Umhloli wamazwe waseNgilandi u-A. B. Lloyd wabhala ngo-1899: “Ngatshelwa ukuthi isigijimi singathunyelwa sisuka emzaneni siya komunye, okuyibanga elingaphezu kwamamayela ayikhulu [amakhilomitha angu-160], ngesikhathi esingaphezu kwamahora amabili, futhi ngikholelwa ukuthi kungenzeka ukuba kwenziwe ngesikhathi esingaphansi kwaleso.”

Ngisho nasekhulwini leminyaka lama-20, izigubhu zaqhubeka zinendima ebalulekile ekudluliseni ukwaziswa. Incwadi ethi Musical Instruments of Africa, eyanyatheliswa ngo-1965, yathi: “Izigubhu ezikhulumayo zisetshenziswa njengezingcingo. Kuthunyelwa izigijimi ezihlukahlukene—ukuze kumenyezelwe ukuzalwa kothile, abashonile nemishado; imidlalo, imidanso nemikhosi yokuthwasisa; izigijimi zikahulumeni nempi. Ngezinye izikhathi lezi zigubhu zidlulisa inhlebo noma amahlaya.”

Kodwa kwakuxhunyanwa kanjani ngezigubhu? EYurophu nakwezinye izindawo, izigijimi zazithunyelwa ngamaza kagesi ngezintambo zocingo. Uhlamvu ngalunye lolimi lwalunikezwa uphawu lwalo ukuze kwakhiwe amagama nemisho ngokupela uhlamvu olulodwa ngesikhathi. Nokho, abantu base-Afrika Emaphakathi babengenalo ulimi olulotshwayo, ngakho izigubhu zazingawapeli amagama. Abashayi bezigubhu base-Afrika babesebenzisa isimiso esihlukile.

Ulimi Lwesigubhu

Isihluthulelo sokuqonda indlela yokuxhumana ngezigubhu sisezilimini zabantu base-Afrika ngokwazo. Izilimi eziningi zase-Afrika Emaphakathi naseNtshonalanga ngokuyinhloko zinemisindo yephimbo emibili—uhlamvu ngalunye lwawo wonke amagama akhulunywayo lunomsindo wephimbo owodwa kwemibili eyisisekelo, ophezulu noma ophansi. Ukushintsha komsindo wephimbo kushintsha igama. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela igama elithi lisaka, elithathwe olimini lwaseZaire isiKele. Uma zonke izinhlamvu zalo ziphinyiselelwa phansi, leli gama lisho “ibhaka noma ixhaphozi”; ukuphimisa izinhlamvu zalo ngephimbo eliphansi, bese ukhuphuka kusho “isithembiso”; ukuphimisa ngephimbo eliphansi, kube eliphezulu, bese kulandela eliphezulu kusho “ubuthi.”

Izigubhu zabase-Afrika ezinezimbobo ezisetshenziselwa ukudlulisa izigijimi nazo zinemisindo emibili, ophezulu nophansi. Ngokufanayo, lapho izigubhu zesikhumba zikhipha isigijimi, zisetshenziswa ngazimbili, njengoba esinye isigubhu sinomsindo ophezulu kanti esinye sinophansi. Ngakho, umshayi wesigubhu onekhono udlulisa isigijimi ngokulingisa umsindo wokuphimisa amagama akha ulimi olukhulunywayo. Incwadi ethi Talking Drums of Africa ithi: “Lokho okuthiwa ulimi lwezigubhu ngokuyinhloko kuyefana nolimi olukhulunywa yisizwe.”

Yiqiniso, ngokuvamile ulimi olunemisindo yokuphimisela emibili lunamagama amaningi anemisindo nezinhlamvu ezifanayo. Ngokwesibonelo, olimini lwesiKele, amabizo angaba ngu-130 anomsindo ofanayo (uyaphakama ezinhlamvwini zombili) njengelithi sango (baba). Angaphezu kwangu-200 anomsindo ofanayo (uphimisela izinhlamvu ngezwi eliphansi bese uyakhuphuka) njengelithi nyango (mama). Ukuze bangadideki, abashayi bezigubhu banikeza umongo ohambisana nalamagama, bawafake emshweni omfushane owaziwayo onamagama ahlukahlukene ukuze olalele aqonde ukuthi kuthiwani.

Ukukhuluma Ngezigubhu Ezinezimbobo

Olunye uhlobo lwesigubhu esikhulumayo isigubhu sokhuni. (Bheka isithombe ekhasini 23.) Izigubhu ezinjalo zenziwa ngokugweda isiqu somuthi. Ayikho ingxenye evalwa ngesikhumba. Nakuba isigubhu esisesithombeni sinezimbobo ezimbili, eziningi ziba nembobo ende eyodwa kuphela. Uma ushaya uhlangothi olulodwa lwalembobo kuzwakala umsindo ophakeme; ukushaya ngakolunye uhlangothi kukhipha umsindo ophansi. Ngokuvamile lezi zigubhu zingaba imitha ubude, nakuba zingaba ingxenye yemitha ubufushane noma zibe amamitha amabili ubude. Ubukhulu bazo buphakathi kwamasentimitha angu-20 kanye nemitha.

Izigubhu ezinezimbobo zazisetshenziselwa okungaphezu nje kokuthumela izigijimi zisuka emzaneni ziya komunye. Umlobi waseCameroon uFrancis Bebey wachaza indima yalezi zigubhu emidlalweni yokubambana. Njengoba amaqembu amabili amelene elungiselela ukuhlangana egcekeni lomzana, izingqwele zazidansela izigqi zezigubhu ezinezimbobo kuyilapho kushaywa izibongo zazo. Isigubhu sohlangothi olulodwa ungasizwa sithi: “Ngqwele, ingabe wake wahlangana nontanga yakho? Ubani ongaba imbangi yakho, ubani? Laba bantu abangelutho . . . bacabanga ukuthi bangakwehlula [ngomphefumulo] obuthaka abawubiza ngokuthi ingqwele . . . , kodwa akukho noyedwa ongakwehlula.” Abashayi bezigubhu ngasohlangothini oluphikisayo bayakuqonda lokhu kugcona okungahlose bubi bese bephendula ngesaga ngokushesha bethi: “Inkawu encane . . . inkawu encane . . . ifuna ukukhwela emthini kodwa bonke bacabanga ukuthi izowa. Kodwa inkawu encane inenkani, ngeke iwe emthini, izokhwela iye phezulu, inkawu encane.” Izigubhu zaziqhubeka zijabulisa abantu phakathi nawo wonke lomqhudelwano wokubambana.

Izigubhu Ezikhuluma Kahle Kunazo Zonke

Izigubhu ezinomfutho zenza okungaphezu kwalokho. Isigubhu osibona esithombeni ngakwesokudla sibizwa ngokuthi i-dundun; siyisigubhu samaYoruba esikhulumayo esidume kakhulu eNigeria. Njengoba sakheke njenge-hourglass, lesi sigubhu sinesikhumba sembuzi esithambile, esishukiwe nxazombili. Lezi zikhumba zihlanganiswe ngemichilo yesikhumba. Lapho iqiniswa, isikhumba sithi ukuqina ukuze sikhiphe amanothi aphakeme kakhulu. Ngokusebenzisa induku egobile nokushintsha ukuphakama nesigqi somsindo, umshayi wesigubhu onekhono angalingisa ukuphakama nokwehla kwephimbo lomuntu. Ngaleyo ndlela abashaya izigubhu “bangaxoxa” nabanye abangaqonda futhi badlale ulimi lwezigubhu.

Ngo-May 1976 ikhono eliphawulekayo labashayi bezigubhu lokudlulisa izigijimi ngezigubhu laboniswa abaculi basenkantolo benduna yamaYoruba. Amavolontiya phakathi kwezilaleli ayehlebeza iziyalezo eziningi kumshayi wesigubhu onekhono, yena owayeshaya isigubhu adlulisele lezi ziyalezo komunye umculi okude negceke. Esabela kulezi ziyalezo zesigubhu, lomculi wayesuka endaweni ethile aye kwenye futhi enze konke ayecelwe ukuba akwenze.

Akulula ukufunda ukuthumela isigijimi ngesigubhu. Umbhali u-I. Laoye waphawula: “Indlela yamaYoruba yokushaya isigubhu iwubuciko obuyinkimbinkimbi nobunzima obudinga iminyaka eminingi yokufunda. Umshayi wesigubhu akufanele nje abe nekhono elihle lokusebenzisa izandla nokuqonda isigqi, kodwa futhi kufanele abe nenkumbulo enhle yezinkondlo nomlando womuzi.”

Emashumini eminyaka amuva nje izigubhu zase-Afrika azisakhulumi kakhulu njengakuqala, nakuba zisenendima ebalulekile emculweni. Incwadi ethi Musical Instruments of Africa ithi: “Ukufunda ukudlulisa isigijimi ngezigubhu kunzima kakhulu; ngakho-ke, lobu buciko bunyamalala ngokushesha e-Afrika.” Uchwepheshe wezemithombo yezindaba uRobert Nicholls uyanezela: “Izigubhu ezinkulu zakudala, ezazizwakala ebangeni elide futhi ezazisetshenziselwa kuphela ukudlulisa izigijimi, zizophela.” Abantu abaningi kulezi zinsuku bakuthola kulula kakhulu ukushaya ucingo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Isigubhu esinezimbobo

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Isigubhu samaYoruba esikhulumayo