I first heard the talking drum played by my Professor Milford Graves at Bennington College, I thought the world was splitting open. Professor Graves is from New York, not Nigeria, but he plays the talking drum and is a master percussionist who has immersed in the rhythms of the world's amazingly varied cultures. He also heals using the understanding of sound and astrology and Oriental Medicine to bring people back into healthy rhythms.
(I'm not sure if the talking drum in this picture is from Zimbabwe or a neighboring country.)
The talking drum is nicknamed for it's similarity to tonal language (such as the Yoruba language of South Western Nigeria). By pressing the leather cords, and changing the tension of the skins on both sides of the drum, the pitch changes in a way that fairly mimics speaking.
Listen/Watch the: Yoruba Dundun Talking Drum Ensemble
No comments:
Post a Comment