Ghana Music - Gonje Songs

The goge is West African one string stick fiddle found in a variety of shapes and sizes, and known by a number of names. The most common form is known as goge by the Hausa and Yoruba in Nigeria and the Songhay, Djerma, Mauri, and Hausa in Niger. In Ghana the Mamprusi-Dagomba call it a gonje and in Benin it can be reffered to as a godie. Typically goge are made from a lizard skin covered half gourd, pierced by a thin neck and a horsehair string that passes over a small bridge placed close to the edge of the gourd. Bowed with a small horsehair bow, the goge has a very distinctive sound that makes use of a multiphonic voice. Played by both men and women with great virtuosity, the goge is used in small ensembles and to accompany singing.

adolphur Micha performs the three songs presented here. The first is a Chrismas song, the secon, a song in praise of the chief, and the third, a war song. The gonje is well suited for vocal accompainiment with it's wide dynamic range and its adujustable pitch. Players often make use of the harmonics to imitate the controlled "cracking" of the voice, a widespread African vocal technique.One-stringed bowed lutes similar to the gonje are found throughout Africa

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Africa
• Ghana
• world music
• gonje

[burger414]

No, I'm not from Ghana. I am an African-American though but not from Ghana

[DEUTSCHLANDDUDE]

Hi. I am deeply fascinate by this instrument and other one-string bowed lutes from Africa. What a deep, profound soudn I tell you ! If you do have one, can u sell me one? I am an Indian musician.

[burger414]

im sorry I dont have one to sell you :-( try ebay.

[russ0r]

Reminds me of early blues a lot, especially the vocalist.

[Steadno]

sounds like blues a tad

[designedfor]

Cool. Are you from Ghana originally? We have something similar in my country called the Ud.