By Erin Cobby
Music has power. Whether this is due to the release of dopamine that our favourite melodies can inspire, or by some other innate and mysterious response, music can drastically impact our moods.
Rarely however, do I find myself fully transported by music. But, standing in a tent at Roskilde festival, watching the six-person Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe simultaneously weave together polyrhythmic phrases that invoke 700-year-old traditions, I was far closer to meditating than I was merely listening.
The Nakibembe play a specially designed type of xylophone or embaire, which was created by troupe leader Ngobi Rashid to accommodate more people playing at once. The keys are made from ensambiya wood and are struck with sticks made from a heavier wood called enzo. Unbelievably, I was only treated to a fraction of the whole performance at Roskilde – normally the group encompasses 27 people, an ensemble made up of fiddle players, dancers, singers and shakers.
By Erin Cobby