raft zither, bísã

Zither system used by the Nupe people of Nigeria, described in Blench (2010). The instrument itself (bísã in Nupe) is a six-string raft zither composed of dried guinea-corn stalks (Blench 2010:13). Relative tuning of the strings varies widely between instruments (13).The language is tonal, with L, M, and H register tones, as well phonemic falling and rising contours (4).Writing generally about Nupe surrogate language, Blench says: “instrumental performance is characterised as a type of speech since instruments can imitate speech tones and thus ‘say’ things” (8). About the bísã: “[it is] used by men for speech imitation, the ‘speaking’ of proverbs, praises and songs” (13).

Blench, R. (2010). Oral literature genres of the Nupe of Central Nigeria. rogerblench.info