Purpose of African Drums
Drums are percussion instruments played by the action of being beaten or shaken by hands or sticks. African drums have different applications and functions, and their use is not limited to the 54 countries on the continent. Drums have traveled with African culture around the world.
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History
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The origins of African drums are hazy, but some reports do shed some light. James Blades states in "Percussion Instruments and their History" that "extracts from Portuguese books of 400 years ago refer to the existence and importance of the drum in South Africa." Patricia Telesco and Don Two Eagles Waterhawk claim in "Sacred Beat: From the Heart of the Drum Circle" that Egyptian girls danced with drums to praise the gods, while the Wahinda in eastern Africa considered it a death wish for a man to look at a drum.
Types
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African drums come in many varieties. According to Grove Music Online, "kettledrums [also known as tambari], most often of wood and with laced or pegged heads, are widespread in Africa, where they have often served as emblems of power." The ganga, or double-headed cylindrical snare drum of western and northern Africa, has many uses. It belongs to an ensemble for court musicians in highly stratified societies while it is mainly used to accompany song and dance in others. Grove Music Online also states that "goblet drums are used in many parts of Africa ... as royal or ceremonial instruments."
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Artistic Function
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While drums are created to be played, many African drums are now housed in museums where their purpose is to be admired rather than used. A Ntan drum housed in the National Museum of African Art was used by the Asante people of Ghana in bands when they "performed on occasions such as naming ceremonies, weddings, funerals and traditional festivals--any event where entertainment was needed," according to the museum website.
Contemporary Music
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Contemporary African music such as highlife, primarily from Ghana and Nigeria, "represents one of the century's first fusions of African roots and Western music," according to National Geographic online. An Amazon.com review of "Ohene Kesee a Ebin," an album by Asante, an innovator of highlife music, claims that he "masterfully incorporates traditional African drums (frontomfrom, atumpan, apentema, kpanlogo, sogo, kidi) along with congas, ankle bells, chimes, shakers, cymbals, and assorted percussion into his massive setup."
Significance
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Music reviewer Jason Kahn, on the University of Vermont's website, states that with the vast number of languages and cultures in Africa, "little can be said to generalize the entire music scene. One thing is for sure when speaking of Africa, music is the 'ethnic bond' of the entire country." Considering the many drums that exist in Africa and the space they take up in exhibits dedicated to showcasing African culture, African drums exist, especially in western civilization, as a gateway to understanding aspects of African culture.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit traditional drum image by bayu harsa from Fotolia.com
