The ardin is a type of harp played in Mauritania. It has a resonating body made of calabash and is played by female iggawin, or griots.
The ardin is a type of harp played in Mauritania. It has a resonating body made of calabash and is played by female iggawin, or griots.
The word ardin, possibly derived from the Fulbe word ardo, "to lead," also describes a higher tuning adopted by the lead koni (xalam) during a duet performance. [1] Eric Charry posits that the existence of these similarities, and of the kora tuning called Hardino, demonstrates cultural diffusion among the western African sahel-savanna music system. [1] It may also be related etymologically to tahardant , a Tuareg word for the instrument more similar in appearance to the tidinit. [2]
The ardin is a stringed instrument constructed with a calabash sound box covered in leather, often highly decorated with paintings, with a wooden neck 100 cm (40 in) long. [2] It typically has between 10 and 16 strings. [3] [a] The ardin is traditionally played by women, and is a smaller counterpart to the kora, which is played by men and has 21 strings. [2] The strings are attached to tuning pegs on the neck and adjoin a metal plate with rings on the soundboard which vibrates when the strings are plucked. [2] The leather sound board may also be beaten like a drum. [7]
French:Ensuitte, elles firent chanter le'ur guiriote ; elle tenoit une espèce de harpe dont le corps fait d'une calbace couverte de cuir avoit dix ou douze cordes qu'elle touchoit assez agréablement ; elle commença donc a entonner une chanson arabe assez mélodieuse, mais fort languissante, a peu près a la manière des Espagnols ou Portugais, l'accompagnant de sa harpe avec beaucoup de mesure ; mais ce qu'il y avoit de plus agréable c'est qu'elle se passionnoit extrêmement et faisoit quantité de petites façons et de mouvements de teste, faisant remuer a mesure tous les gris gris et pendeloques, montrant les plus belles dents du monde ; tout ce que je trouvay a redire, c'est que ses mots parroissoient extrêmement rudes et comme tirez du gosier.
[Then, they had their griot sing; she held a kind of harp whose body made of a calabash covered with leather had ten or twelve strings which she played quite pleasantly; she then began to intone a rather melodious Arabic song, but very languid, almost in the manner of the Spanish or Portuguese, accompanying it with her harp with great measure; but what was most agreeable was that she became extremely passionate and made a number of little gestures and movements of the head, making all the gris gris and pendants move in time, showing the most beautiful teeth in the world; all that I found to complain about was that her words appeared extremely harsh and as if drawn from the throat.]
— Michel Jajolet de la Courbe, Premier voyage du sieur de La Courbe fait à la coste d'Afrique en 1685 [8]
Michel Jajolet de la Courbe documented the existence of the instrument in West Africa as early as 1685. [1] Singer and ardin player Dimi Mint Abba became renowned throughout the Muslim world after winning the 1977 Umm Kulthum song contest held in Tunis. [3] In modern times, instruments like the ardin and tidinit are increasingly supplemented or replaced by the electric guitar. [3]
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Citations
The main women's instrument, the ardin, is a harp with twelve or fourteen strings. The body of the instrument consists of half a gourd over which a skin has been stretched.