Krar

Krar

A musician playing the krar.
String instrument
Classification

lyre
Related instruments

masenqo

The krar or kraar is a five- or six-stringed bowl-shaped lyre from Eritrea and Ethiopia. The instrument is tuned to a pentatonic scale. A modern krar may be amplified, much in the same way as an electric guitar or violin.

Instrument

The krar, a chordophone, is usually decorated with wood, cloth and beads. Its five or six strings determine the available pitches. The instrument's tone depends on the musician's playing technique: bowing, strumming or plucking. If plucked, the instrument will produce a soft tone. Strumming, on the other hand, will yield a harmonious pulsation. The krar is often played by musician-singers called azmari. It usually accompanies love songs and secular songs.

Resources

Bibliography

Films

See also

References

  1. "The Bowl-Lyre of Northeast Africa. Krar: The Devil's Instrument", Ethnomusicology, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Sep., 1977), pp. 379-395. (Subscription link.)
  2. Ino-kombat.com
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