Page 21 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 6
P. 21
FAITH STORIES
THE NGADJI
THE SACRED DRUM OF THE POKOMO
RESEARCHED BY THE MSINGI TEAM
he Pokomo are exporters of culture and are cow hide stretched across the
a Bantu people, said to be influencers of culture opening. The Ngadji was said to
who live along the in Lamu and the Comoros and be the earthly representation of
Tana River in Ken- even to have contributed to the the god that the Pokomo people
Tya, where they are formation of the Kiswahili lan- worshiped and that when it was
said to have migrated from guage. In fact a Pokomo lullaby struck, it made the sound of a
Shungwaya in Somalia. The was re-purposed into Kenya’s roaring lion. It had the power
name 'Tana comes from the national anthem. to cause all within its vibrant
word 'Chana', which means As part of their rich culture sound to stop and listen. A pow-
river. They are said to refer to and traditions, the Pokomo erful unifying tool for the people.
River Tana as 'Chana Maro', make reference to the Ngadji, The Ngadji is said to be the
that is River Maro. They are a massive drum taller than any source of power for the WaPo-
mainly farmers and depend on man that was made from the komo, and was central to spiri-
the flooding of the river to grow hollowing out of the trunk of the tual and communal life before it
crops. The Pokomo are rich mzinga tree, which then had was stolen by British colonialist
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