Instrumental Music of the Kalahari San

Rather than performing for an audience, the !Kung San people from the northwestern Kalahari Desert region "play [music] for themselves, when the mood strikes them." Perhaps that’s what makes it so compelling. Here is a demonstration of music played on gut pluriarc (bow lute), gut hunting bow and sitengena (thumb piano), with vocal accompaniment.

Track Listing

101	Gut pluriarc with 3 Men's Voices	Three San men singing with plucked string instrument, Namibia	02:36
102	Metal Pluriarc with One Woman's Voice (1)	Hwan-a of Xabe	03:31
103	Gut Hunting Bow, Solo	Tuma We	02:00
104	Gut Hunting Bow with One Man’s Voice	Tashay !Kumsi	03:08
105	Gut Hunting Bow with Resonator and One Man’s Voice	Uxone	02:42
106	Sitengena with One Man's Voice (1)	Ti !Kay (Jimmy)	07:00
201	Te Bow with Two Women’s Voices	Two San women singing with te bow, Kauri, Botswana	03:02
202	Tin Can Bow Solo	San musician playing tin can bow, Namibia	01:44
203	Sitengena solo	San musician playing sitengena (thumb piano), Botswana	01:15
204	Sitengena with One Man's Voice (2)	Gau	02:20
205	Gut Pluriarc with One Man’s Voice	San man playing gut pluriarc, Namibia	03:51
206	Metal Pluriarc with One Woman's Voice (2)	Hwan-a	02:05
207	Gut Hunting Bow with One Man's Voice	San man playing gut hunting bow, Namibia	02:38