Haitian Drumming - Aspects of Haitian Handrums and Drumming

[Berimbau]

It seems that it's high time for this forum to investigate aspects of Haitian hand drumming. Petro drums, basse, Tiroro, the ethnomusicological work of Courlander, Derrain, etc. Given the historical influence of Haiti on the music of New Orleans and Cuba, or it's relatively recent influence in Jamaica music, let's get the thread started. Now most of my experience is in making and playing vaccine trumpets, drawing veve, so I wonder what kind of expert testamony this post might elicit?


Saludos,


Berimbau

[yoni]

Hey Berimbau!

I know little of drumming specific to Haiti, but I bet some is similar to some other French Caribbean drumming. Having lived 3 years in Saint Lucia, I got acquainted with cadence, zouk, mazourka, kele, more folkloric rhythms - and some endemic to Saint Lucia itself, such as La Comet. There were more rhythms I've forgotten by now. I love the French Caribbean grooves, a whole different world from more famous calypso and reggae.

There's a CD in the Smithsonian Folkways series called "Musical traditions of Saint Lucia", due to the wide variety of music on that island alone. Maybe they have a disc specific to Haiti as well.

All the best,
Yoni

[changolaye]

hey every 1 well from wat i have studied alot of the hatian druming and dominican druming can be compared to that of st lucia puerto rico and more because theres a rythem called the tumba francesa french tumba wich is also played in cuba brought by the hatians 2 the eastern part of the island it is a dominican originated rythem that was carried also to puerto rico where it evolved into wat is bomba in in all of its styles even alot of the songs in bomba are creole and about spirit loas from haiti and dr and in st lucia they also sing in spanish creole it still survives in cuba it is rarely played in dr and haiti enymore and also the dance style and dress is the same in all places the tumba francesa was said to have influenced new orleans also after the haitian revolution...

[changolaye]

also remember alot of hatian rites originate in the dominican republic they have an older line of vodoun and they also have the rare palo de muerto from san cristobal wich is congo based but has dahomey and yoruba influence sarandunga in bani wich is purely yoruba druming of iyesha origin wich exists in cuba also bambula in samana carabine, empaliza, salve con balsie, congo from villa mella so people thing that the hatian rythems gave offspring to dominican rythems wen its the other way around