notch-flute whistle, fipple flute, ouwa

​Notch-flute whistle (ouwa) system used by the Lyélè-speaking Gurunsi in Burkina Faso, mentioned in Éboué (1935). The instrument itself is a wood or ivory flute with two, three or four holes measuring between 15 and 18 cm long. Evidently used for long-distance communication: Éboué reported a signaling distance of up to 800 meters, and a transcribed example appears to consist of an announcement that a governor is arriving in the village (438).

Ébοué, F. (1935). 21. LA CLEF MUSICALE DES LANGAGES TAMBOURINÉS ET SIFFLÉS. In T. A. Sebeok & J. Umiker-Sebeok (Eds.), Speech Surrogates: Drum and Whistle Systems. 1976. (pp. 434–440). De Gruyter Mouton. https://www.degruyter.com/view/book/9783110804416/10.1515/9783110804416.434.xml