The Bench Community Folk Music; its kiñit (scales) and performance

Abstract

The Bench community is one of the ethnic groups in the South-West part of Ethiopia. They have their own distinguished musical system. The objective of this study is therefore to analyse folk music of the Bench community by correlating the kiñit with the musical instruments used without disfiguring the context of its performance. Specifically, this study tried to answer the question, what the kiñit and performance of the communities’ folk music look like? Data were collected through observation, interview, focused group discussion and document analysis. The study is descriptive by nature, and data were analysed using contextual data analysis technique. Based on the content of the oral poetry and the main context where they are demonstrated, the Bench Community folk music in this study is categorized in to three types. These are songs performed during happiness, during grief and during work. The study showed that the kiñit of the Bench Community folk music lies mainly on the lyre which is a source of kiñit. The study attested that the four Ethiopian kiñits (ANCHI HOYE LENE, BATI, AMBASEL & TIZITA) can be created and played using the lyre. But to create the music kiñits using lyre, sequential structure of the way the lyre player handles the threads, pace and movement of the fingers, and the musical instruments and the oral lyrics are decisive.