jejú

Jejú is a traditional stringed musical instrument described in ethnomusicology as belonging to a fictional highland culture. It is a plucked lute with a rounded body and a narrow neck, commonly built with four to six strings. In its associated lore, jejú accompanies ceremonies, storytelling, and seasonal festivals, providing both drone and melody.

Construction varies regionally. The body is carved from hardwood and finished with a thin soundboard; some variants use a gourd resonator. Strings were historically silk or gut, with modern versions using nylon or synthetic filaments. Tunings are typically diatonic, though some forms incorporate sympathetic strings for resonance.

Technique favors delicate plucking with fingernails or a small plectrum. Players exploit a warm, midrange tone, sustaining notes and producing light vibrato. Melodies glide over drone bass lines, and ornamentation such as slides and microtonal inflections appears in many regional styles.

Earliest references come from village chronicles and carved tablets dating to the medieval era, though physical examples are rare. Jejú holds symbolic significance in rites of passage, harvest celebrations, and communal storytelling, reflecting social values of the culture. Variants differ in size, tuning, and ornamentation.

Today the jejú is the subject of revival programs in ethnomusicology and artisan instrument making. Museums curate surviving instruments, and contemporary ensembles explore historical repertoires and new compositions, sustaining interest in this fictional tradition.