Variable Pitch Drums

[Chupacabra]

Also known as "Talking Drums", they are a beautiful instrument in the hands of a skilled player.

Over the past couple of years that I've been getting interested in Afro-cuban music I've never seen or heard of any style of talking drum being played anywhere in the Caribbean islands, or anywhere else in the African diaspora. These drums are prevalent in many regions of (West) Africa and I am curious to find out if this type of drum, or the playing of, has ever been adapted to the customs of "The New World" in the context of folkloric Afro-Cuban music.

[Tonio]

Chupa,
They are normally called dondo, though there are many other names for them. You will find them more prevalent in Ghana.
I'v seen some dondo mixed in with Nigerian music along with bata & tumbadora, but I really don't know if its an authentic relation.
There isn't too much in a Afro cuban sense that you mention as far as I know. You seem to have many interests in African music, so hope you find some interesting stuff. PLease do share if you find anything good.

T

[bongosnotbombs]

I'm just taking a stab here, but I read that African drums were banned in some of these countries
you mentioned, so other kinds of drums like cajons and congas were invented.

I just saw a really skilled player of this instrument play with Deedee Bridgewater's Red Earth group last
week here in SF at Yoshi's.

[zumbi]

peace&blessings!
throughout west africa these drums takes on a variety of names and sizes.
historically linked to the islamic civilizations of the mande and the hausa-fulani it spread to many other neighbor nations.
in the senegambia region is known as tama and is a small high pitched instruments.
in modern days ghana and nigeria it appears in a variety of sizes.
(some large enough that have to be squeezed between the legs as they won't fit underarm)
one of the most interesting uses is a nigerian orchestra made of variable pitch drums exclusively:
basslines, rhytmic and solo parts would be played by "talking drums" of various sizes.
unfortunately i just heard this music once on the radio and got no details from it.
one of the main soloists is massamba diop who plays tama with senegalese artist baaba maal and is featured on a number of projects including herbie hancock's gershwin world.

[Chupacabra]

I think one of the best known players/practitioners of the talking drums is King Sunny Adé from Nigeria and the style of music known as Juju. There are so many styles just in West Africa alone, without even getting into the ones used in Korea and some other parts of Asia.

One reason that I suspect that these types of drums and the type of sound they produce were never brought out of Africa during the years of forced migration could be the fact that they were once a major form of communication among distant people. It was the responsibility of a skilled practitioner to mimic the spoken language ("Talking" drum) in order to convey messages over long distances. Once that need was extinguished then there wasn't much use in bringing out the donnos, ntamas or atumpans any more.

From what I've read, it doesn't appear that any of the talking drums or their rhythms were used in traditional religious practises, whereas bata drumming was, and still is to this day. So maybe I just answered my original question right there. Still, I would be interested to hear if any part of this tradition survived outside of Africa. Is it possible that I may have already heard some of it in some type Afro-Cuban or Caribbean music and not even realized it?

This is still kind of related to this topic:
One of the most famous songs by the legendary Rock/Alternative musician Peter Gabriel called "Solsbury Hill" - If you listen to the background percussion as it builds up through the song, what do you hear? This has to be one of my favourite tunes of all time!

[Chupacabra]

I just saw a really skilled player of this instrument play with Deedee Bridgewater's Red Earth group last
week here in SF at Yoshi's.[/quote]

BNB, was his name by chance Kinobe Herbert?

[bongosnotbombs]

I just saw a really skilled player of this instrument play with Deedee Bridgewater's Red Earth group last
week here in SF at Yoshi's.

BNB, was his name by chance Kinobe Herbert?[/quote]

No, his name is, Yacouba Sissoko.

http://sf.yoshis.com/sf/calendar/detail/?s=322