The Ngqoko cultural group was formed in 1983 by women who originate from the Ngqoko village in Lady Frere in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. “There are usually 11 or 12 performers in the group, including performers with the uhadi, umrhubhe and ikatari musical bows,’ Dave Dargie said ‘and the majority of the group performed umngqokolo overtone singing of different types. They use percussion and friction drums and one member of the group plays ikonsatina: a concertina adjusted to perform traditional Xhosa scale and chords. They perform songs and dances including diviners’ dance songs, umtshotsho boys’ and girls’ dance songs, dances from girls’ initiation and from various other traditional dance gatherings”(Dargie, 2016).
The group members and their roles included: Nofinishi Dywili (uhadi bow); Nowayilethi Mbizweni (umgqokolo ngomqangi and ‘ordinary’ umngqokolo overtone singing leader, and igubu drum); Nofenitshala Mvotyo (leader of the diviners’songs, and umasengwane friction drum); Nogcinile Yekani (umrhubhe mouth bow, with whistling); Nopasile Mvotyo (umrhubhe); Nosamutingi Ntese (song leader and ‘ordinary’ umngqokolo overtone singing); Nofirsti Lungisa (ikatari bow and umngqokolo); Nokhaya Mvotyo; Nolineti Ntese; Nomthandazo Ntese and Tsolwana Mpayipheli (group organiser, translator and only man in the group. (CD notes: Ezona Ngoma zeNgqoko cd)
References: Bow Music Conference. 2016. Ngqoko Cultural Group. Available at: http://www.bowconference.com/performers/2015/12/31/ngqoko-cultural-group.
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