appear in the new appendix, under the titles of the appropriate chapters of this book.3
Finally I would add that my more recent studies in comparative musicology have convinced me that, though the greater part of the continent of Africa has for centuries been subjected to foreign influences, the effects of which are plainly visible to the ethnomusicologist, South Africa, south of the Limpopo, has largely escaped those influences. The few exceptions, such as the Tshopi and the Venda areas, are so distinctive that they serve to throw into strong relief the fact that South Africa is still able to demonstrate to the world three separate stages in the development of music, and also how these have reacted one upon another. In no other part of the world, as far as I am aware, is it possible to compare the musical practices of three different epochs in human history, as represented by our Bushmen, Hottentots, and Bantu, or to be in a position to observe in action what may legitimately be regarded as some of the earliest stages in the evolution of musical instruments.
Grahamstown, South Africa, June 1964
1See article on ‘Instruments’ in Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, fifth edition, London, 1954, vol. iv, for particulars of the different systems of classification of musical instruments, and the principles upon which they were based.
2Galpin, F. W., Textbook on European Musical Instruments, London, 1937, pp. 32–36. Here will be found the author’s complete system of classification.
3Kirby, P. R., in Bushmen of the Kalahari, Johannesburg, University of the Witwatersrand Press, 1937, pp. 1–59.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
IWISH in the first place to express my deep indebtedness to the Carnegie Corporation and the Research Grant Board of the Union of South Africa for enabling me to carry out this research and publish this work, and to the Chairman of the Board, Professor R. B. Young, for his continued interest, encouragement, and advice.
My thanks are due to the many friends who have helped me in the collection of the material and in the checking of facts for this book. In particular, I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my colleague, Professor L. F. Maingard, who has been ever ready to place his wide knowledge of Africana at my disposal and to discuss and advise at all times. I am also indebted to Mr. W. P. Paff for the boundless enthusiasm and unremitting care which he has exercised in preparing all the plates and in taking many of the actual photographs which appear in this book; and to Miss Dora Kotzé for drawing the map. I also wish to express my thanks to Miss Wilman, Curator of the McGregor Museum, Kimberley, and to Mr. A. M. Duggan-Cronin, for allowing me to include four photographs taken by Mr. Duggan-Cronin; to Miss D. F. Bleek, Mr. F. Brownlee, Dr. I. Schapera, Dr. C. M. Doke, Dr. E. L. Gill, Director of the South African Museum, Capetown, and to the South African Railways and Harbours, for their permission to reproduce photographs taken by them or in their possession. I must further record my gratitude to the Ministers of Justice and of Native Affairs, for their permission to seek the assistance of magistrates and native commissioners throughout the Union of South Africa; assistance which has been willingly accorded to me, both in correspondence and in the field. Many of these officials, as well as other interested helpers, appear in the following list of people who have assisted me to gather information among the various races indicated.
BUSHMAN, HOTENTOT, HERERO, AND BERG-DAMA
W. S. Anderson, C. Berger, Miss D. F. Bleek, F. Brownlee, R. Colson, Mrs. A. W. Hoernlé, Prof. L. F. Maingard, T. Moodie, Capt. W. Shortridge, M. P. Snyman, Rev. H. Vedder, J. de Villiers.
VENDA
A.W. Biddell, S. Dziwane, Rev. A. A. Jaques, Miss E. Krige, N. Makaleni, Induna Netshiaba, Chief Sibasa, Chief Takalani, G. G. Wessman, Rev. G. Westphal.
CHWANA
Chief Bathoen, A. L. Cuzen, H. J. Dumbrell, Chief Isang, Rev. Haydon Lewis, Chief Molefi Pilane, L. Moumakwa, Major H. Neale, M. D. Pilane, Ratshosa, Rev. J. Reyneke, Dr. I. Schapera, Dr. S. Schönland, Chief Siboko, G. Taylor.
SOTHO (TRANSVAL AND BASUTOLAND)
W. Bain, W. Barnard, J. Bidi, E. J. Bird, J. R. Brent, Dr. E. W. Dyke, J. P. Fritz, Major C. Harries, Major D. Hunt, F. Kotsane, Rev. E. T. Lion, H. J. Malan, W. H. Martin, R. M. Moagi, F. B. Moony, J. H. Nicholson, C. Oldwick, Rev. N. Roberts, Dr. P. D. Strachan, W. S.Thompson, P. de Villiers, Dr. N. J. vanWarmelo, Prof. J. M. Watt.
THONGA
B. H. Dicke, J. McCallum, Chief Mohlaba, Resenge, J. le Roux.
SWAZI
G. Bennett, H. J. Dumbrell, J. Fakude, H. M. Howell, W. Lowe, A. Miller, B. Nicholson, Paramount Chief Sobhuza II, J. Williams.
ZULU
K. Ahrens, E. W. Bird, J. Clayton, G. B. Cunningham, A. Eyles, C. C. Foxon, Mrs. R. C. King, Rev. T. M. Leisegang, D. Livingston, H. C. Lugg, G. Mdhladhla, Mrs. N. Ogle, P. A. Stuart, S. B. Theunissen, A. Zungu.
XHOSA, PONDO, AND TEMBU
M. G. Apthorp, B. Ashton, R. D. H. Barry, O. M. Blakeway, Mrs. Bredell, F. Brownlee, Rev. Father Calloway, E. Clark, G. T. Davis, F. N. Doran, H. Drew, Dr. L. Fourie, D. W. Garner, N. C. H. B. Garner, Rev. R. Godfrey, V. Hugoldin, Miss M. Hunter, J. A. Kelly, F. J. Kockott, J. M. Lambert, Mrs. H. M. McKay, E. W. Moe, H. Munscheid, A. Nonkwelo, F. C. Pinkerton, R. W. Plant, A. M. Tloti, V. M. de Villiers, Rev. Father Wallis, R. Welsh, E. W. Wilkins.
GENERAL
S. B. Asher, Rev. W. Behrens, C. H. Blaine, J. M. Boom, H. Britten, C. Carstens, E. C. Chubb, R. Colson, Dr. C. de Cottens, Miss Ivy E. Craig, Prof. R. A. Dart, C. R. Denny, B. Dodd, Prof. C. M. Doke, A. M. Duggan-Cronin, Mrs. H. Ehret, J. H. Farquhar, F. W. Fitzsimons, P. Freer, Dr. L. Gill, M. Gluckman, J. Henkel, J. Hewitt, C. Hugo-Hahn, Rev. A. M. Jones, H. Jowett, P. F. Kopo, Miss D. A. Kotzé, H. H. G. Kreft, Prof. J. D. Krige, H. F. G. Kuschke, Prof. G. P. Lestrade, Dr. C. T. Loram, Col. J. C. V. Lyle, Prof. L. F. Maingard, C. N. Manning, P. E. Mitchell, T. Moodie, J. W. Ord, Dr. A. J. Orenstein, C. H. Poppé, W. Rowan, Mrs. E. van Schalkwyk, W. Warden, Dr. E. Warren, G. H. Welsh, Miss M. Wilman, Dr. I. Schapera, Miss H. Schlesinger, Mrs. C. Sharp, Prof. J. J. Smith.
FIELD ASISTANTS.
S. J. Inchbold, J. Kirby, J. Mackay, W. P. Paff, H. O. Reisener.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO THIRD EDITION
S OME years ago it became apparent to me that a reprint of The Musical Instruments of the Native Races of South Africa by my grandfather, Percival Robson Kirby, was necessary. Indeed, not just a reprint, but a new edition. Last published in 1965, the renamed Musical Instruments of the Indigenous People of South Africa remains the ground-breaking archival and ethnographic benchmark study of the musical instruments and related cultural practices found in southern Africa in the early 20th century before the subsequent eradication of these ways. South Africa in the 21st century experiences an incredible diversity of musical culture and performance, to a large degree based on the inevitable influence of European and American music. There is however, a resurging interest in the traditional musical practices of southern Africa. Musical Instruments of the Indigenous People of South Africa remains the definitive, standard work on the subject.
In the preparation of the third edition, the title has been slightly changed but
