History of the udu

Many African instruments have a rich cultural history behind them. The udu is no exception

THE UDU originates from Nigeria. It is a musical instrument that was developed by the women of the Igbo people, who inhabit the eastern part of the country. Originally it was used strictly for women’s ceremonial purposes, but nowadays its use is so widespread that you can find it in Christian churches, shebeens and popular male bands.

'Udu' means pot in Igbo. It is believed that the udu evolved from a water carrier. Indeed the larger type of udu is no different from a water storage pot. If you were to travel through the Igbo region in Nigeria you would find it hard to miss an udu of this kind. The place is literally littered with them. There are udus in the fields; these serve as storage for grain and other cultivated foods. You can also find udus nestling in the branches of tall trees. Villagers place these here to collect honey. Bees colonise the udus and produce honey, which, when it is ready, is harvested by the local people and shared among the community. To avoid getting stung, the villagers burn a specific plant growing naturally nearby, the smoke of which temporarily lulls the bees.
All around a typical Igbo community you can see large udus in the shade; these act as fridges. Adults and children use hollowed gourds to scoop out cold water to drink.
The smaller type of udu gained a second hole on its side. Whereas the larger version is played using a palm frond (part of a palm leaf) – or a foam pad – to beat over the single hole, to produce a sound on the smaller type players use their hands percussively on either or both of the holes.

Why do only women make udus?

THE UDU was developed and made originally by the women of the Igbo people of eastern Nigeria. The men in this society are traditionally not allowed to make pottery, believing it to be taboo, and that they will become impotent if they do so. The clay used to make the udus is collected by the women from secret, sacred locations, where the presence of a man would be regarded as a serious violation. Here, the women have to supplicate themselves and make offerings to the female deity of pottery.
When the potters reach a certain level of proficiency in their craft, the chief custodian of pottery confers status and seniority on them. This is symbolised by a thin string made from natural fibre, which is worn on the potter’s ankle for the rest of her days. A truly brilliant udu-maker may eventually wear one on each ankle.

How do you play the udu?

Eugene Skeef practising his art

How does a seemingly simple instrument produce such a complex range of sounds? Eugene Skeef gives a practical demonstration

The udu is used normally to play syncopated bass-driven beats to anchor the rhythm but also to propel it forward. Depending on how you play the instrument – tapping fingers on the sides, moving hands over and away from the hole – you can make an array of different sounds.

The side hole, when covered percussively with the palm of one hand, produces a soft deep bass tone.

When you cover the hole and immediately remove your hand, a suction effect is created, which causes the low sound to swoop suddenly to a higher pitch. To enhance this effect, you can repeatedly tap the side hole gently with your palm and gradually uncover it to produce a range of notes that can sometimes reach an octave above the fundamental, lowest note.

With the fingers of the other hand you can play the ceramic body of the udu to produce high-pitched sounds that – when played together with the side hole – resemble the tabla.

On the same lines, if you slap the side of the udu, you get a brighter, louder sound.

Here are all four different sounds together.

In this video clip, you can see Eugene Skeef playing all these sounds in quick succession – together making up the characteristic patterns used in Moving Away.