Advanced Talking Drum Ensemble

TALKING DRUM ENSEMBLE - MUSIC OF THE DAGOMBA
PEOPLE OF NORTHERN GHANA. This class will be a
performance-based ensemble, with students learning
traditional drumming, singing and dance from the
Dagomba of Northern Ghana. In this musical
tradition, drummers are griots, charged with the
history keeping of their community. Unlike many
other West African drumming traditions, the drum
language of the Dagombas has been maintained and
remains a vital part of the community. Students
will learn the role of the drummers in Dagomba
society, and explore how drum language is used to
praise chiefs, and connect the community in
general. We will view video footage of pieces the
ensemble will play, and discuss how the music
functions to mark important community events.
Students will play the talking drum (Lunga), and
bass drum (Gun-gon) that are the primary
instruments of the ensemble. Our repertoire will
focus on various praise name dances, which are
composed for new chiefs when they are "skinned"
(inducted as chiefs), group dances and a variety
of other dance rhythms that connect to harvests,
funerals, and various professions within the
community.