Old and Atypical Ennaga, Buganda Harp

This old and very beautiful ennanga is atypical in a number of ways. Let’s start with the resonator which is made from the carapace of a turtle. This feature alone is unique. The skin stretched over it has two sound holes where others always have one, and it’s stretched tight, not with the classic pattern of parallel strings bound to a rectangle of hide on the back, but with knots of untanned hide forming a grid. The bow arm isn’t a smooth arc- it’s irregular, fashioned it unapologetically from a stripped and smoothed branch. And, finally, this ennanga has only five (gut) strings where as nearly every other example I’ve see has eight or nine strings. All of this suggests that it is probably a country instrument, from a district far from the Buganda royal court or perhaps a neighboring group. 24″ long. Mounted on a custom base (included). Ex. UK collection.

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