ABSTRACT
The Chopi people of Portuguese East Africa are famous for their music. They play large orchestras of xylophones which they call Timbila, and their orchestral dances, Migodo, are probably the most advanced example of African artistic endeavour in the southern part of the continent. A description of how Katini and Gomukomu set about composing a new orchestral dance will show how musically advanced the men is. A ngodo is an orchestral dance in nine to eleven movements. Chichopi, in common with other Bantu languages, are a tone language, and the sounds of the words themselves almost suggest a melodic flow of tones. The singing of the words of the lyric is part of the dance routine and is undertaken by the dancers. They sing as a rule in unison with occasional harmonic passages by their leader. The clear statement of the subject and counter-subjects by young male voices set against the percussion accompaniment of the mellowtoned Timbila makes stirring music.
