trumpet, kàkàti

Trumpet system used by the Nupe people of Nigeria, described in Blench (2010). The instrument itself (kàkàti in Nupe) is an end-blown horn made from brass or aluminum; two varieties differ in length, one about 1 meter long and the other greater than 2 meters (Blench 2010:22). Lipping allows for three main partials: “the fundamental, the first harmonic an octave above, the fifth above it” (23).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 kàkàti: [Its three notes provide] sufficient capacity for restricted speech-imitation, and there are a number of ‘calls’ that may be sounded” (22). The kàkàti’s use is restricted to the players in Nupe Emirs’ royal court ensembles, a position associated with specific trumpeter family lineages.

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