History of the talking drum

For years, the talking drum has been noted as one of the symbols of the old African tradition especially the western part of Africa and an instrument of music indigenous to the Yoruba culture of the South western part of Nigeria and Benin republic and Ghana. However, the talking drum is more than just a cultural artefact or a musical instrument. The talking drum has served numerous purposes over the years, a purpose which with the introduction of technology and the test of time has tampered with.

The talking drum ( gan-gan)

Known in many different cultures by different names; dundun or gangan by the Yoruba of Nigeria, Benin republic and Ghana, mbaggu by the Fulani of sub-saharan Africa, tamanin by the Dyula of Mali and Burkina Faso, doodo by the Songhai people, kalangu by the Hausa of northern Nigeria, the talking drum is an hourglass-shaped membranophone which could be likened to two cones put over each other at their tips . It is a made of a hollow wooden stock which is cone shaped with both ends covered by leather skin which can be of animal or even fish origin. The leathers are connected across the hourglass frame by leather tension cords. The pitch of the drumbeat is modulated by the player squeezing those tension cords against his frame as he plays. In this manner, the drummer is able to mimic the sounds of human speech. That is why it's called talking drum, one could play a sentence a poem or an ancient story myth or legend using the drum and the audience will fully understand because it sounds very similar to the words of a human in their dialect.

The Origins of the talking drum

It is not certain where exactly the talking drum originated from, however it is said that it originated from Sub-saharan Africa where it is still played to this day. In West Africa, although some cultures that had no contact with the sub- Saharan people also have origins related to the talking drum, it is believed most cultures from the western part of Africa migrated to that area bringing with them their instruments, like the Yoruba culture is believed to have originated from a region around Mecca which is now a holy city for the Muslims, however one thing is consistent; the application of the drum in the relaying of messages, during war, festivals.

Application of the talking drum

When danger approaches a village, the talking drum was used to warn villagers using sounds plucked from the beat in tones that match the dialect of the people. The drumbeat travels across the air with clarity and faster than a horse rider or a human being wiuld, thus serving as an effective means of communication. It however requires special skill to be able to play the talking drum and use it to transmit messages that can be easily decoded by the receiver. Like a Morse code or telegraph, the pitched shaves and beats of the drum meant different words, which however had to be followed up by explanatory phrases so that the meaning was not lost in ambiguity. Traditionally, a drummer had a name tag with which he was known like a handle, and messages from that drummer started off with the handle and signed off the same way. The messages were then relayed poetically especially in a festive period with short phrase messages often becoming eight or ten times longer.

The Griots of West Africa

Similar to the bards and travelling minstrels of the medieval age, the griots of West Africa are living flesh and blood repositories of ancient knowledge. These men and women possess the stories of their people, triumphs and failures, stories that are recalled using the talking drum. The storytelling griot narrates the story of a time, punctuating her words with the drum and building the suspense and excitement for the climax. Praise songs for eminent personalities, as well as prayers are also accompanied by the tones of the talking drum.

In recent times, the griots and the culture of passing down tradition orally has fizzled in African society. While the talking drums live on, their major applications are for their music in various genres such as the Fuji and Juju music of Nigeria which traditional musicians has received praises around the world.