horn, trumpet, okike, ọdu-mkpala-alọ, enenke

Horn or trumpet system of the Igbo people of Nigeria, described in Ebighgbo (2009). The instrument itself is a hollowed animal horn, bone, or tusk; the most common named varieties are the okike (fashioned from a long elephant tusk), the ọdu-mkpala-alọ (from a shorter elephant tusk), and the enenke (from a deer antler). The language is tonal; Ebighgbo does not describe the surrogate system but discusses surrogate uses:“Like a solo singer, he used the [ọdu-mkpala-alọ] tusk to “talk” as my people commended him. He would praise, admonish and commend respected individuals with his trumpet. … he would use it to herald his return by “saying” in trumpet sound mmadu nọkwọ bem, meaning “are there people in my house”?”

Ebighgbo, C. (2009). The Trumpets: Okike, Odu-mkpalo, and Enenke as Ethnography in Igbo Social Commitments. GEFAME. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.4761563.0006.102