What is Afro Drumming?

Developed and used by cultures living in forested areas, drums served as an early form of long distance communication, and were used during ceremonial and religious functions. Among the most famous talking drums are the drums of West Africa, where they were invented.

Djembe

A Djembe (pronounced JEM-bay) also known as djimbe, jenbe, jembe, yembe or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin covered hand drum, shaped like a large goblet, and meant to be played with bare hands. The djembe originated in West Africa, and is an integral part of the region’s musical tradition and culture. The djembe is now popular all over the world.

Ntama

The ntama is an african double-skinned drum with variable tension made of a hollowed-out hourglass-shaped wooden barrel. In Mali, both the Bwa and the Kaado tribes are said to have invented this instrument. A smaller version of the ntama is called a ntamani.

The ends are covered by two goatskins stretched over a stiff circle and tied together by flexible leather laces. The narrow center is placed under the arm (hence the name “armpit drum”) and the drummer varies the pressure on the lacing, modifying the pitch. This creates sliding and altered tones. The skin is struck with a thin curved stick. For the ntamani the skin is stuck with the fingers.

All of Africa’s social classes are familiar with this age old instrument, used by criers to announce meetings on the public gathering area to hear urgent information. The ntama can also beat dance rhythms when played with the djembe.

Tar drum

A tar is a single-headed frame drum. The tar comes from North Africa and the Middle East. Older than the Bible, depictions of these frame drums date back thousands of years.

The tar is held mainly with one hand, although the playing hand also supports the drum to a certain extent while playing. It has an open tone, and is often either played for accompaniment to other instruments or in tar ensembles.

Technique:

The proper sound is achieved with minimum effort for maximum effect. The key is to either focus or disperse the hand’s energy, and position the hand in the correct place. The bass and tone notes require focused energy (a beginner will have the most success by holding their fingers firmly together), while the slap requires dispersed energy (fingers are relaxed).

Striking the skin with the palm and fingers toward the drum’s center produces a bass note; striking the skin near the rim (with the fleshy part of the palm just above the rim) produces the tone and slap. Beginners may think of the tone and slap as fingers “together” and “apart.” Advanced players will not take the time to make that obvious physical change, but rather make a less visibly obvious change from “focused” to “dispersed.” Martial artists might describe the focused energy state as “extending ki (life energy)” and the dispersed energy state as “relax completely.”

A brief introduction to Ghana:

Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Accra is the capital and largest city. The country’s population in 2005 was 21,029,853.

It was inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number of ancient kingdoms, including the inland Ashanti kingdom and various Fante states along the coast. Trade with European states flourished after contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century, and the British established a crown colony, Gold Coast, in 1874.

It was the first black African country to obtain independence from colonial rule. Upon achieving independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, the name Ghana was chosen for the new nation as a reference to its ancient roots in the Empire of Ghana.

After Independence, the Ghanaian music scene flourished, particularly the up-tempo, danceable style known as highlife, which is still played consistently at the local clubs and bars, often called spots. Many Ghanaians are adept drummers, and it is not unusual to hear traditional drum ensembles play at social events or performances. Rita Marley, wife of the late Bob Marley, now resides in Ghana. Hiplife, another genre of music in Ghana established by Reggie Rockstone, a major Ghanaian rapper, is now in stiff competition with the more established highlife for airplay on local radio stations and nightclubs. A movement that started in the mid 90s, hiplife is effectively a Ghanaian version of hip-hop rap music, with raps basically in the local dialects, Twi being the most prevalent. Hiplife in present day Ghana arguably represents youth culture in general. Slowly but surely hiplife is surpassing “western music” in terms of airplay, whereas ten years ago the opposite was true. It is the most significant addition to Ghanaian culture in decades.

Information sourced from Wikipedia with permission. See Tar (drum), Djembe, Ntama, Ghana.