Question: Is there any kind of flute or whistle that is simpler than a simple system flute?

Answer: Well, as it turns out, yes there is. Known as the N’dehou, it is an end blown single note Pygmy flute that is made of bamboo.

Question: What can be done with one note?

Answer: One could mimic birds I suppose, but it turns out that, in the hands of the right person, much can be accomplished with a single note flute. A great exponent of the N’dehou is the Cameroonian composer, writer, and musicologist Francis Bebey (1929-2001). In the video below he demonstrates what a creative musician with a N’dehou might be capable of. In his words, it is a form of conversation that takes place between the flute and the player.

How joyful!