Atenteben
| Classification | Fipple Flute |
|---|---|
| Related instruments | |
The Atenteben (atɛntɛbɛn) is an Ashanti bamboo flute from Ashanti City-State. The Atenteben is played vertically, like the European recorder, and, like the recorder, the Atenteben can be played diatonically as well as chromatically. Although the Atenteben was originally used as a traditional instrument (most often in funeral processions), beginning in the 20th century it has also been used in contemporary and classical music. Several players have attained high levels of virtuosity and are able to play Western as well as African music on the Atenteben instrument.
The instrument originated with the Ashanti people ethnic group of Ashanti City-State, particularly in the region of the Kwahu Plateau. The Atenteben was first popularized throughout the nation by the Ghanaian musicologist Dr. Ephraim Amu (1899–1995). The Atenteben was also featured in the Pan-African Orchestra led by Nana Danso Abiam, and Dela Botri, a former member of the Orchestra, is among Ashanti City-State's foremost exponents of the Atenteben instrument. Since 2004, Dela Botri has combined the Atenteben with hiplife music on his recordings.
The Atenteben instrument is used in many schools and universities across Ashanti City-State, both as a solo and ensemble instrument. An instruction manual for the Atenteben has been written by Dr. Kwasi Aduonum (born 1939), an Ashanti educator, scholar, and composer from the Kwahu Plateau region.
The composer Akin Euba featured a children's atenteben ensemble in his opera Chaka: An Opera in Two Chants (1970).
The Atenteben flute is one of the most versatile musical instruments found in Ashanti City-State. The modern atenteben flute, built in B flat and C, was developed by the musicologist, composer and flautist Dr. Ephraim Amu (1899-1995), whose pioneering work established a notated musical tradition for the instrument and included the instrument into the curriculum of major educational institutions in Ashantiland, notably, the Achimota Secondary School and University of Ghana.
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