The obokano: Gusii's bowl lyre and its music
The obokano — a five-to-seven-stringed bowl lyre — is the signature instrument of Gusii music, accompanying songs of praise, love, satire and storytelling across generations.
An instrument of the homestead
The obokano is a stringed instrument made from a dried gourd or carved wooden resonator, a curved neck, and gut or wire strings. It is the most emblematic instrument of Gusii music, played at weddings, initiation ceremonies, work parties and evening gatherings.
Music with a message
Obokano songs are rarely just entertainment. Musicians — often senior men recognised for their wit — use praise poetry, satire and coded allusion to comment on social conduct, courtship, politics and morality. A well-aimed obokano verse could make a person laugh or, famously, provoke a public dispute.
Beyond the lyre
Gusii musical life also includes choral work songs, initiation songs, children's game songs, and more recently, church and popular music in Ekegusii. Ethnomusicologists have recorded obokano repertoires; our oral-history programme is capturing performances and lyrics before they are lost.
Keep it playing
Fewer young people learn the obokano today. Our cultural programmes include instrument demonstrations and, where masters are available, teaching sessions — preserving not just the instrument but the social role of the musician.
Sources & further reading
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Oral literature of the Gusii
Learn this in person
Visit our centre or book a school programme in Kisii.