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This is the
type of flute known in the West as "pan-pipes". They can be
found in various sizes, with a variable number of pipes from a minimum
of four to a maximum of fourteen. A similar instrument can be found in
various regions of Africa. In Zimbabwe, this instrument has gradually
become less common; once there were many musical groups with several players
of MIKWATI with four, six, eight and more pipes. The pipes used for the
instrument are tied together by a fibre cord of plant origin. The individual
pipes are open at the top (where the player blows) and closed at the bottom.
The term NYERE indicates the individual pipe. When several pipes are tied
together, a NGOROROMBE is the result, from the name of a dance - dedicated
to the spirits of the ancestors - particularly common in the regions of
MUTOKO and MARY MOUNT. The instrument takes the name of PEMBE or MIKWATI
YE NYERE when the pipes are thirteen or fourteen in number.
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