These Look Like Percussive Musical Instruments; But From What Culture?

Made of ~1⅛"bamboo, they're 53.5 cm long; 19 cm of that are the grips. Each has 19 saw-cut 'fingers' about 34 cm long. Each are about 3½ oz, or ~100 gm. They show no age, wear or soil; they may be quite new.

What comes to mind is what early American jazz drummers called flyswatters, now just brushes. Used against a drumhead, they produce a softer, quite distinctive sound. But I doubt these were used against a thin-membrane drumhead. More likely (to me, anyway) would be against a) each other, b) something multiply ridged or corrugated, c) some (cylindrical?) hollow object,
or d) various areas of the human body.

I am not a musician however: so all above is speculation.

Whatever they may be I've never seen another, therefore had to have 'em.

Please enlighten me! I'll be promptly grateful...

 

Google Pulli Sticks and see if they are what you have. See below also.

 

They are Hawaiian pu'ili sticks, used by hula dancers in the traditional hula.

 

Opps, sniped by Joe!

 

I do have to say, however, that the pu'ili in the photo posted by Joe in PA do look more like tourist pieces, than the actual instruments used in hula. They don't look like they would make the right sounds, being shorter than the ones I've seen.

 

I think you're Puili ing my leg...

 

Very good!

Google offered several responses, one of them a video of a Hawaiian Hula instructor demonstrating how Pu'ili Sticks are used, and the subtle differences in the sound made by what she called the 'splinters' when the dancer uses them. Incidentally, I learned the correct pronunciation of Pu'ili; Poo-ee-lee. emphasis on the second syllable.

I enjoyed your prompt and spot-on comments...even tho' one of them was punishingly painful!

Thank you all!

 

"Poo-ee-lee." with the emphasis on the second syllable" is how pu'ili is pronounced.

The mark after the u in pu'ili is called an 'okina in Hawaiian, and indicates a glottal stop, in this case between two vowels.

It isn't an accent mark, but there evidently isn't an accurate symbol on my keyboard, so I used the closest thing. You will find it spelled both ways on line, with and without the mark, maybe to avoid confusion.

But in Hawaiian, the common usage is with the 'okina, (which also is accented on the second syllable.) The mark looks like a "reversed" or a mirror image, of an apostrophe.

 

The glottal stop is a sudden closing of the vocal cords. It is used in some languages and dialects.
Anyone who watches British series or movies and has heard a London (Cockney) accent, will have heard it. For instance when they say bottle, which sounds like bo-el.

It is also used in singing, especially techniques that are derived from certain types of European folk music. My singing teacher said it would ruin my vocal chords if I did it too much.

The most beautiful example of a whole range of glottal stops is this song by the amazing Bulgarian singer Maria Karafezieva, accompanied by one of my musical faves, Ivo Papasov on clarinet.
Maria goes from regular Bulgarian vibrato to glottal stop singing and back in an "OMG" way.



Some nice Bulgarian costumes as well.

 

Thank you any Jewelry that was all new to me. Ive not heard the voice used like that. Beautiful colourful clothes.

 

You're welcome. The use of the voice is amazing, isn't it?
I became acquainted with Bulgarian music through a dear friend, and loved it ever since. I also used to dance Bulgarian folk dances, and wore some of those wonderful costumes.

 

That was interesting, not ever heard anything like it before! Thank you AJ xxx

 

The girl who works for us is Bulgarian. I've saved this so I can play it for her on Tuesday when she comes in.

 

Oh, that is wonderful, a surprise reminder of home.