tkéjét

tkéjét is a traditional stringed instrument described in the fictional ethnography of the Andu people of the eastern highlands. In the Andu cultural archive, tkéjét accompanies storytelling, rites of passage, and ceremonial dances, and it is regarded as a conduit for ancestral memory.

Etymology and classification: The name is said to derive from the Andu words tké meaning "sound" and jét, a nominal suffix for instruments. It is categorized as a long-neck, plucked lute in the fictional classification system.

Description and construction: The instrument features a carved wooden body with a resonator covered by animal skin, a long fretted neck, and two parallel strings, typically gut or nylon. Typical length is 60–70 cm. Local makers reinforce the body with fiber bindings and use a bone or wooden bridge; tunings vary, but a fixed interval of a fifth is common.

Playing technique and repertoire: It is plucked with the right hand while the left hand frets the neck, producing melody with a drone from the second string. The repertoire emphasizes pentatonic or modal scales, ornamental trills, and call-and-response patterns. It accompanies epic songs, harvest celebrations, and arranged weddings; improvisation is valued in solo performance.

Cultural significance and history: Master players command social respect; the instrument is central to initiation rites and oral-history performances. First documented in colonial-era field notes, tkéjét has since diversified in design and teaching, facing modernization and regional variations.