Most of us these days only know about musical instrument such as the trumpet, saxophone, guitar, piano, and several other musical instruments forgetting that we have our own mind-blowing instrument that shows our rich culture and tradition in music.
Kakaki trumpet is a three to four metre long metal trumpet used in Hausa traditional ceremonial music. The Hausa people makes up the largest ethnic group in Nigeria and they are also found in other African countries such as Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Chad, and so on.
It is referred to as waza in Chad and Sudan, and malakat in Ethiopia.
Kakaki; A Royal-Blowing Instrument
The Kakaki is not just an everyday musical instrument as it is associated with royalty. It is an instrument blown during ceremonies for the Emirs, Sultans, and Kings in Hausa societies.
Kakaki is an important feature in traditional and religious ceremonies such as Turbanning the Emir, Argungu Fishing Festival, Salah festival and so on.
It is used as part of the sara, a weekly statement of power and authority.
Just like the South African ‘Vuvuzela’ , the Kakaki makes a very loud sound that can heard in a very long distance just as the length of the musical instrument.
An important thing to note is that Kakaki are exclusively played by men.
