Sudanese Traditional Instruments

Nouggara is a Sudafest-led cultural initiative dedicated to preserving and sharing Sudanese musical heritage at a time when many traditions are at risk of being lost.

Through a combination of craftsmanship, film, and community engagement, Nouggara documents not only traditional instruments, but also the knowledge, stories, and practices behind them.

At the heart of the project is a collaboration between Sudafest, master craftsman Dafaallah Elhag Ali, and filmmaker Hatim Mohamed Ali. Together, they worked to craft a collection of 14 traditional Sudanese musical instruments, using techniques passed down through generations.

What makes Nouggara distinctive is its focus on the process of making. Rather than presenting the instruments as static objects, the project captures their creation from start to finish. Through film, audiences are invited into the workshop to witness the transformation of raw materials into instruments, preserving not only the final forms, but the skills and cultural knowledge embedded within them.

This approach ensures that Sudanese musical heritage is preserved in both physical and digital forms. The instruments form a touring exhibition, while the documentary film creates an accessible archive for wider audiences.

The project is supported by Arts Council England and Bristol City Council.

Nouggara Instrument

The Nouggara is a traditional Sudanese drum, central to cultural and folk events, especially among the Baggara tribes. Made from wood and animal hide, it is played with sticks, producing iconic rhythms .

Jaras Instrument

The Jaras is a metal percussion instrument used in Sudanese Sufi processions alongside the Noba and Tar. Made from copper or bronze, it consists of circular discs with raised edges, struck or clashed to create rhythmic sounds. Its beats start slow and gradually intensify as the procession nears its destination.

Rig Instrument

The Rig is a type of Douf or Tar used in Sudanese folk music and Al Hakeeba songs. It features a wooden or metal frame with ten pairs of small cymbals and a goat-skin or synthetic cover. Played by striking the skin and cymbals, it adds rhythmic depth to traditional Sudanese music.

Tar Instrument

The Tar is a percussion instrument from Aswan, widely used in northern Sudan, especially by the Nubians and Halfaween tribe. It plays a key role in Sufi religious praise in central Sudan. Made of wood with goat leather stretched over the frame, it is essential in Sudanese spiritual and folk music.

Tambour Instrument

The Tambour is an ancient stringed instrument central to Sudanese musical heritage, known by various names across regions. It consists of a wooden resonating body (Dabkar), a cowhide cover, three wooden pieces (Qawayim and Arrada), and 4 to 6 strings. Played with fingers or a plectrum, its design varies but retains its unique, traditional sound.

Agamo Instrument

The Agamo is an ancient Sudanese wind instrument made from sugarcane, featuring five pipes of varying lengths tuned to the pentatonic scale. Resembling a pan flute, it holds cultural significance in the Blue Nile region, symbolizing human and social connections through its unique melodies.

Daluka Instrument

The Daluka is a traditional Sudanese percussion instrument, central to women's singing, dancing, and social celebrations like weddings and henna nights. Made from a clay-straw mixture with a goatskin cover, it is decorated with colourful folk art. Played under the left armpit, its rhythmic beats are key to Sudanese folk music, especially in Aghani Albanat (Girls' Songs).

Dingir Instrument

The Dingir is a traditional Sudanese percussion instrument, exclusively played by women. It consists of a dried gourd placed in a water vessel and struck with sticks to produce rhythmic sounds. Dating back to the era of sultans and kings, it is known by different names across regions. Used in funerals, healing rituals, and eclipse ceremonies, its name is believed to originate from the echoing sound it creates on water.

Shatam Instrument

The Shatam is a traditional Sudanese percussion instrument, mainly played by women and always accompanying the Daluka. It features a small wooden or clay frame with goatskin stretched over one side. Played by striking it with a leather strip or small stick, the Shatam adds rhythmic depth to Sudanese folk music.

Asasago Instrument

The Asasago is a percussion instrument from the Blue Nile region, made from a dried Kalabash gourd. Hollowed, cleaned, and filled with hard materials, it is sealed and shaken to create sound, often played alongside the Waza.

Muthallath Instrument

The Muthallath (Triangle) is a metal percussion instrument shaped into a triangle and held by a thread or wire at its top. Introduced to Sudan, it was used in Christian hymns and later in Alhakeeba songs in the early 20th century.

Kurbi Instrument

The Kurbi is a traditional Sudanese string instrument from Darfur, deeply rooted in Fur and Zaghawa cultures. Made from wood and leather, it has a rectangular body, a bow-shaped neck, and five strings. Played with both hands, the Kurbi is now endangered due to the decline of artisans skilled in its craft.

Tango(Dombray) Instrument

The Dombray, or Tango, is a traditional Sudanese string instrument, mainly played by women in the Blue Nile region. Made from a dried gourd and sinew string, it is played by placing the long string under the chin and plucking the short string with the thumb. It is commonly used in social celebrations and dances like the Abomboum.

Kashkosh Al Kambala

Kashkosh Al-Kambala is a rhythmic percussion instrument used in the Kambala dance, a coming-of-age ritual in South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains. Traditionally made from leather and palm leaves filled with seeds, modern versions use food cans with grains and stones. Worn on both legs, it produces sound when dancers strike the ground in rhythmic unity.

Gurmi Instrument

The Gurmi is a traditional Hausa string instrument made from a dried gourd covered with lizard or goat skin. It has two strings stretched on sticks and produces a delicate sound. Played at weddings, festivals, and healing ceremonies, it is central to Hausa musical heritage. The therapeutic Bouti style is believed to aid mental and physical healing.

Um Kiki Instrument

Um Kiki, or Um Sibayba, is an ancient Sudanese string instrument popular in West Sudan and North Kordofan, especially among the Baggara, Massalit, and Mararit tribes. Made from a dried gourd covered with goat skin, it has a single horsehair string. Played with a bow, its tones change as the player presses the string, creating rich melodies.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse