A common term (with many variants) used generically for many kinds of drum among the numerous Bantu-speaking peoples of central, eastern-central and southern Africa. However, ‘ngoma’ often has a wider meaning, at its widest standing for music and dancing (and the associated feasting), and for ceremonies in which drumming occurs. Because of its use as a general name for drums of various shapes and sizes it often appears in the catalogues of instrument collections (e.g. Boone, 1951).
Among different peoples ngoma can variously denote a dance, a drum ensemble, the most important drum of an ensemble, or individual drums. Use of the name is sometimes indicative that drums have special sacred or magical properties. Ngoma dza midzimu (‘drums of the ancestor spirits’) is the term used by the Venda of the Transvaal for spirit possession dances; the bass drum in the accompanying ensemble, a large hemispherical drum with a single head, resembling the two drums with which it is played, is itself called ngoma. Common nomenclature also includes ngoma in compound forms, for example, ngoma ya shina.
Ngoma drums may also be associated with royal power, as was frequently the case, for example, among the kingdom states of central Africa. Among the drum ensembles of Rwanda and Burundi, those usually cited as iÃgoma were formerly played only for the rulers (Tutsi). They consisted of sets of up to nine laced drums of the Uganda drum type beaten with drumsticks, struck with awesome power and precision to the accompaniment of praise verses. As in many other cases, each drum in the ensemble had its own pitch and special name. In Burundi the ensemble was even larger, up to 25 drums (with single pegged heads) being used in a single set. This ensemble formerly performed only at the court at the behest of the king but like the Rwanda set is now played generally at festive occasions.
P.R. Kirby: The Musical Instruments of the Native Races of South Africa (London, 1934, 2/1965)
O. Boone: Les tambours du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi (Tervuren, 1951)
F.J. de Hen: Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Musikinstrumente aus Belgisch Kongo und Ruanda-Urundi (Tervuren, 1960)
H. Tracey: Catalogue of the Sound of Africa Series, ii (Roodepoort, 1973)
M. Vuylstèke: ‘Musique du Burundi’, OCR 40 [disc notes]
PETER COOKE