Udus originally carried food or water, but also double up as instruments
THE UDU has a fascinating sound, unlike any other instrument apart from perhaps Indian tabla drums. But the udu isn’t a drum – it’s a pot made entirely of clay. The original use of the udu in rural Africa is for transporting and storing food and water, and it’s still used for this on an everyday basis. But it’s also an instrument vital to the traditional music of much of the vast continent of Africa.
Here’s a clip of Eugene Skeef playing two udus, in the song Moving Away.
