Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-10
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
Marimbas of Mozambique


"The most ia miliar importation
from Mozambique is not mentioned
in consular reports or trade lists.
Mozambique Is the home OF marin
ba music; there the x~ylophone IL
known as the native piano. and an
American ballroom probably is the
place where a Bantu visitor would
feel most at home
Commenting upon the new trans
Zambesi railway. just opened, the
National Geographic Society issues
from its Washington. ID. c., head
quarters a bulletin which ~
1.-THE new line which terminates
at Chinde leads back into Nyasa-
land, adding that p~rotectorate u
the Transvaal ard Rhodesia hinter-
land which already are tapped by
coastal railways running through
Portuguese East Africa. which is
the official designation of Mozambi-
que.
Abounds I'm Local Color"
Despite its railways and the
economic development they will
bring, Mozambique is likely to re-
tain for a long time its local color;
tapped by romantic fiction writer's
until the very word is a synonym for
the exotic and mysterious. Strange
ly enough the land of man-eating
lions and the worlds most pesufer-
Gus ants provides dainty Miss Amer
lea with music for her dancing,
ivory for her fan. and atmosphere
for the novels of her leisure hours.
1.-The M'chopis, purest OF the
Kafr tribes, foster the classic music
of the Mozambique marimba. The
instruments of this tribe have res
| onators of wild gourd placed be-
| meath the xylophone keys. Aper-
lures in these gourds are covered
with membranes from the wings o.
bats. The resulting sound is what
is described al a 'snarling rattle
| continuing several seconds after the
sound within has ceased. Augment
ing this weird effect, the notes are
in minor key.
Telephones and Drums
"The native orchestra is COM
posed entirely of xylophones and
drums, but there are many sizes of
the former and numerous varieties
of the latter. The drums are used
to give a rhythmic background
rather than to accentuate the tempo
or emphasize the tonal effects. A
few years ago these drums would
have sounded strange and barbaric
to American ears. Today a New
York or Chicago visitor would have
only to close his eyes and, as ne
listened to the minor key meanings
of the marimbas or the regular and
ceaseless drumming OF the drumS,
he might fancy himself hearing his
favorite orchestra in a fashionable
grill. For clever jazz conductors
have found hat the regular cad
ences of drums have a hypnotic
quality which makes the table oc-
cupant prefer the lesser exertion of
ordering another to the greater eff
fort of getting up and going on his
way. Any native batuque, or ball.
of consequence, lasts two or three
days.
"All of which may furnish the
moralist with a happy phrase about
American night life being founded
too much on the bats wings OF
Mozambique; may give comfort to
the musical historian who spends
years trying to preserve primitive
musical instruments and harmonies;
or prove once more to the easy
going philosopher that the Colonies
ladies of Broadway and Michigan
avenue are akin to the Julie
o Gradys of the Kafirs.
1T also explains why the geogra-
pher need not search Shaw or Ches-
terton for paradox. 1t would take
high fctional Imagination to achieve
the cold facts of The influence OF
Mozambique social life on the music,
literature and hotel business of
America"