Ma’di bowl lyre music is an important part of Ugandan culture passed down from ancestors to the Madi people. The songs and dances involved in the tradition were performed for various purposes, such as weddings, political rallies, celebrations of good harvests, education, or mourning the passing of loved ones.
The Lyre (latar) is a stringed musical instrument, which dates back to the ancient Greek period of 1400 BC. It is commonly associated with the period of Greek classical antiquity. The date or method of introduction of the lyre to Uganda is unknown. It is speculated by Wachsmann (1971) that the instrument originated with the Luo migrations from Sudan in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The instrument then passed to the Basoga before making its way to the Baganda court of King Mutesa I.
A special meal is prepared to bless the lyre while it is being made, pieces of broom and stone are taken from a woman who has a quarrelsome streak and placed inside the instrument, and prayers to the ancestors are recited while it is being played in order for the sound to be similar; the instrument is named and is shaken before and after being played to show respect for the lyre.
Traditionally, the sound table of this instrument was made of a thin layer of animal skin stretched over a shell resonator with hiding lacing at the back. The arms and crossbar were made from wooden dowels fixed with twine at their intersections. A small piece of wood serves as the instrument's bridge, and the resonator bowl has stones for a rattling effect.
It's thought that the shell was originally stretched over the bottom of the arms and the pierced holes along them may have been used to retain the hide while assembling. The arms pierce the sound table at the top and the shell is laid down over the bowl edge at the bottom.
This practice is used to strengthen family ties and ensure clan unity, as well as to teach the next generation about their community's history, values and culture. Knowledge and skills associated with the practice are passed down from senior bearers to young people. While the tradition's continuity is in danger, it is perceived as old-fashioned due to new generations, and the materials used are from threatened species.