Description
The kazoo, pronounced kazoo, is a musical instrument belonging to the mirliton family. This instrument consists of a metal or plastic tube with a paper membrane on the side. Singing into the kazoo causes the membrane to vibrate, distorting the sound. For best results, the kazoo should be played on the wider side. The principle of the kazoo has been used in musical instruments for centuries. For example, a cigarette paper and a comb can produce a similar sound. It is commonly assumed that the kazoo was invented in the nineteenth century by the American Alabama Vest, although there are no sources for this. The sound of the kazoo is often considered humorous, which is why the instrument is frequently used in humorous music. Artists such as Paolo Conte also frequently use it. The Finnish metal band Finntroll uses the kazoo in their album "Visor om slutet." The kazoo is also used in the main theme of the film Chicken Run, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell, and in the theme music for the Apirama attraction (now Het Bos van Plop) in the former Meli Park in De Panne. Furthermore, David Gilmour, guitarist and singer of Pink Floyd, used the kazoo in the 1968 song Corporal Clegg.
