Adungu

Description

"The Adungu is a harp of the Acholi and Alur people of Uganda. The soundboard of the harp here is made of wood, rather than skin as is the case in the communities. The strings are made of nylon instead of natural fibres. The number of strings of the adungu varies from nine to fifteen. This adungu, built by the Kenyan Daniel Mabonga, has twelve strings. The Acholi adungu is played in trio, together with two bigger versions. The harp is used to accompany the singing and the dance. It can be used for solo performances as well. Playing technique: by picking and plucking the strings. One of the players of the trio is the soloist singer; singers in the back may accompany the play." (Valentine Kihuha; Daniel Mabonga, 21 November 2018)