Old Island Drums

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Postby Zeno » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:40 pm

oops....



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Postby zaragemca » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:15 pm

Saludos,this is exactly what I'm talking about when making reference to misconception,becouse the picture said 'Homenaje a los Santos',but what these people are doing and the drums they are using,and the collars,etc.,have nothing to do with what it was called Santeria,(Yorubas),but a diferent religion...the shape of the drums in the Caribbean,(other than Cuba),was taking also from the original approach in Cuba,since the immigration of people from the Islands to Cuba was extensive,(working in the Sugar Cane Field), specially but not exclusive to Haiti,Jamaica,and Puerto Rico.....To Zeno.Congo Square was initiated by the cuban/promoter Don Gaetano Mariotini(c.1780-1817), which brought from Cuba the, (Olympic Circus),it was situated in a place called (Place Publique),around 1817,later that structure,(Circus Square), was called ,(Congo Square).Dr. Zaragemca



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Postby Berimbau » Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:23 pm

Dear Zeno,
Now Courlander gave me a field drawing of the drum which was quite like a contempoary bula drum in the Haitian Rada battery. Most of the references to African-derived drums in my lost article were to peg-tuned instruments, a diagnostic marker which places them claerly in the sphere of West African cultural influence, Fon, Ewe, and Yoruba. Most surprising, this survey also included some interesting examples from Native American organology!
The only possibley extant example of a US slave made drum is in the Sloane collection of the British Museum. It is a peg tuned drum nearly identical to an Ashanti apinti drum. Collected in Virginia sometime before 1753, the drum's American origins has never been confirmed, and it is possible that it was obtained in Ghana to "dance" (exercise) slaves making the middle passage. I examined the drum when I was in London and it is a unique specimen.
Unfortunately, the E. W. Kremble drawing which you reproduced from George Washington Cable's notorious 1886 Century Magazine is evidence of nothing more than the artist's vivid imagination. It seems that Kremble himself never set foot in Congo Square, and that his ultimate source for how these African-derived instruments MIGHT have appeared was Cable himself. Now Cable would have had to be a VERY young man if he indeed ever did visit the African dances in Congo Square during their heyday. Apparently, when his own memory failed, Cable borrowed some things from Moreau de Saint Mery's 1797 description of slave dances in the West Indies.
A far better source for such instruments is that of the architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, whose posthumously published diary includes an entry from New Orleans dated Februrary 21st, 1819. Here he describes and depicts a number of African-derived instruments, including two Kongolese style drums. Having lost the majority of my library in Katrina, I'm at present unable to give you a citation, but a guy at Tulane has published an excellent revisionist history of Congo Square. I plan to be in NOLA this weekend for carnival, and will try, in between many beers, to obtain a new copy of it from the Jazz Museum.
Because most of my article was based on literary, pictoral and museum pieces, I suppose it would not be to hard to recreate it.
As might be expected, it will be full of Richard Graham's analytical b*llsh*t! Anyone with hard cash could easily tempt me away from the bar and back to the computor.


Saludos,



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Postby Zeno » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:22 am

The depicted Seeco LP cover (SCLP 9269) was vintage Celia Cruz mostly with Sonora Matancera. This was conjunto music in popular forms that sometimes used references to Los Santos. The tune titles are Oyeme Aggayu, Plegaria a "La Roye", Oya Diosa Y Fe, Guede Zaina, Chango Ta Vine, Saluda A Elegua, Lalle Lalle, Para Tu altar, Agua Pa' Mi, Baila Yemaya, Elegua Quiere Tambo, Lacho.

(I know that the composer/pianist Fecundo Rivero who wrote the tune Lacho had a son named Lacho. Anyone know this tune? Is there more to the story. You may recognize the name Fecundo Rivero, because not only was he a fine Afro-Cuban pianist and composer, but was involved in some of the early recordings of folkloric music on the Cuban Panart label, eg. Santeria vol. 1) Rene Touzet told me Fecundo was born "between the drums".....

These Seeco tunes are in the popular music vein, and I believe, Celia Cruz, those many years ago, as rumor has it, did get a certain amount of flack from the Santeria community at the time for her bringing Santeria material to the popular field. But that is water under the bridge now and ideas have changed, now she would be considered a pioneer I guess.

It is commonplace for latin jazz and salsa to incorporate Orisha songs and make all kinds of references.
This was true in the 20's with the old Son sextetos now that I think of it. The folklore was referred to and even quoted.

The photograph in the Earl Leaf book is something he saw (in Cuba) that he felt was photogenic. Who knows what it is or what the context was. It is in the chapter called "Rumba Madness" so presumably it was in Cuba. I saw some pretty unusual shows of drumming and dance in Cuba myself, not knowing to what extent they were designed to fulfill what they thought would be tourist expectations. You should have heard and seen the version of "The Banana Boat" song I saw rendered in a "folloric" show in Santiago!

There are no artist credits for the Seeco LP cover, but it can be assumed it was a commercial illustrator who made up a scene for an assignment and apparently had a copy of the Leaf book for "inspiration" and ideas. All album covers should be taken with a grain of salt, that goes without saying.

The original Earl Leaf book is far from academic, he was a Life Magazine photographer whose specialty was women, what they use to call "art", the book documents his trip to the Caribbean in the 40s. I bet this old hipster liked to rumba or rhumba or whatever. The caption under that particular photograph, for what it is worth: "Old slave dances and songs are remembered today. Wandering bands of entertainers have extensive African vocabularies."

As drum detectives, we are required to see though the misrepresentations and ethnocentricities to extract useful information from these few existing (better than nothing) photographic images, regardless of their misleading original context. That was the premise of this thread, to notice little details in the drums and to speculate, to see around the corner of the photograph view and to fabricate the virtual missing imagery, those images that we would have captured had only we'd been there back then with out current sensibilities and questions. Until they have software (even more amazing than mere colorization) for such a process as filling in what was outside the view of the camera lens at the time , we will have to use our imaginations.

(this software would somehow combine the photograph with time travel technology).

Zeno

Here is another image, supposedly a Virgin Island "Ka" drum, according to the text. (reminds me a bit of something I saw in Guantanamo with Tumba Francesa, eg. the use of the heel on the drum for example.) The term "bamboula" is thrown around alot in this book. I am wondering about the possible historical connections, if any, of that term and Tumba Francesa.




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Postby Berimbau » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:53 pm

Dear Zeno,
I hope that you don't feel that I was trying to flame you in any way. Your contributions here and elsewhere are always welcome and greatly respected.
My allergy to the Cable account is due to two reasons:
1.) It is almost entirely fiction, which is what Cable actually did SO well. Now those few facts which may be found in Cable's account were in fact lifted from another source (Moreau St. Mery) describing slave dances in the West Indies before 1797. This doesn't say too much about what actually could be found in Congo Square then, but it does romanticize the place, which was probably Cable's intention anyway. Remember that Cable was primarily a romantic novelist, and that his work for Century Magazine was meant to be infotainment. Again, his artist Kemble never actually visited Congo Square, and what he depicted was cobbled together from Cable's alleged memories and Moreau St. Mery's earlier account.
2.) Despite the dubious nature of Cable's account and it's accompanying illustrations, it has become cannonized in the literature, especially that dealing with Jazz history. Better evidence suggests that the dances at Congo Square later became increasingly creolized, and that the "thumping drums" were replaced by fiddle, banjo, and tambourine. By the time the great Jazz innovator Buddy Bolden was born, the dances at Congo Square had long since ceased. Blesh and other authors have postulated that Jazz began in Congo Square, but the actual evidence suggests that at least a 50 year gap divided these two events.
A far more historical account of Congo Square can be found in
Jerah Johnson's 1991, "New Orlean's Congo Square: An Urban Setting for Early Afro-American Culture Formation." Louisiana History, 32 (Spring):117-157. It has also been reprinted as a small booklet and is available from the Jazz Museum in NOLA. Inside you will find Latrobe's depictions and account.
ANY decent researcher DOES use photos, paintings, and drawings, including old lp covers as evidence. Winternitz wrote an excellent book on his methodology working with such evidence. As always, I look forward to your posts.


Saludos,




Berimbau














Johnson, Jerah 1991, "New Orlean's Congo Square: An Urban Setting for Early Afro-American Culture Formation." Louisiana History, 32 (Spring):117-157.
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Postby zaragemca » Wed Feb 22, 2006 6:20 pm

Saludos, to Zeno,if it was Seeco/Label,it means that they didn't know the referenced/music in relation to the pictures,as to Celia Cruz,she started the singing of the Yorubas themes before she was recruited by La Sonora Matancera,she was initiated in that affairs by Dr. Obdulio Morales which was the one starting the first folkloric group and taking those programs to the radio 'Suaritos' in Cuba.Dr. Zaragemca



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Postby Zeno » Wed Feb 22, 2006 6:21 pm

Berimbau wrote:Dear Zeno,
I hope that you don't feel that I was trying to flame you in any way. Your contributions here and elsewhere are always welcome and greatly respected.
My allergy to the Cable account is due to two reasons:
1.) It is almost entirely fiction, which is what Cable actually did SO well. Now those few facts which may be found in Cable's account were in fact lifted from another source (Moreau St. Mery) describing slave dances in the West Indies before 1797. This doesn't say too much about what actually could be found in Congo Square then, but it does romanticize the place, which was probably Cable's intention anyway. Remember that Cable was primarily a romantic novelist, and that his work for Century Magazine was meant to be infotainment. Again, his artist Kemble never actually visited Congo Square, and what he depicted was cobbled together from Cable's alleged memories and Moreau St. Mery's earlier account.
2.) Despite the dubious nature of Cable's account and it's accompanying illustrations, it has become cannonized in the literature, especially that dealing with Jazz history. Better evidence suggests that the dances at Congo Square later became increasingly creolized, and that the "thumping drums" were replaced by fiddle, banjo, and tambourine. By the time the great Jazz innovator Buddy Bolden was born, the dances at Congo Square had long since ceased. Blesh and other authors have postulated that Jazz began in Congo Square, but the actual evidence suggests that at least a 50 year gap divided these two events.
A far more historical account of Congo Square can be found in
Jerah Johnson's 1991, "New Orlean's Congo Square: An Urban Setting for Early Afro-American Culture Formation." Louisiana History, 32 (Spring):117-157. It has also been reprinted as a small booklet and is available from the Jazz Museum in NOLA. Inside you will find Latrobe's depictions and account.
ANY decent researcher DOES use photos, paintings, and drawings, including old lp covers as evidence. Winternitz wrote an excellent book on his methodology working with such evidence. As always, I look forward to your posts.
Saludos,
Berimbau

Johnson, Jerah 1991, "New Orlean's Congo Square: An Urban Setting for Early Afro-American Culture Formation." Louisiana History, 32 (Spring):117-157.



Richard,

I am just offering found material in a neutral presentation for whatever its worth, not opinions, flames would not even be possible, and no I did not detect any, the smoke alarm is sleeping away....

I have photocopies of the Latrobe material here, but alas, it is in a misplaced folder which I am not finding at the moment. I just grabbed that Cable image off the internet, although I have of course seen it before. If you are able to post images, the more the better. Do you have a scanner hooked up?

How was it established that Cable never made live witness? I am now wondering what he based his imagery on. Obviously there are elements to it that had some basis somewhere because I doubt he would have been able to make that up out of nothing but his imagination.

How does one go about obtaining a copy of that NOLA booklet you mention?

By the way, what evidence if any do you have or know about North American slaves utilizing a recycled barrel for a drum.




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Postby Zeno » Wed Feb 22, 2006 6:59 pm

zaragemca wrote:... Celia Cruz ...started ...singing ... Yoruba themes before La Sonora Matancera, (with) Obdulio Morales one of the first folkloric groups.... doing programs for radio 'Suaritos' in Cuba

Some related recorded material from the early 50s can be found on Panart LP-2060 "Santero" which most people here are familiar with. Two tracks Ogun and Ochosi-Omo-Mi are with "Obdulio Morales and his "Black Chorus, Caridad Suarez, soloist. Two tracks: Chango and Babalu Aye, are "Celia Cruz with the Yoruba Chorus and the Bata Drums". So I am familiar with music from that era. The name Obdulio Morales also appears in connection with many other recordings of folkloric as well as popular forms.

I recently noticed the use of this Cuban recorded material in the soundtrack of some Mexican Cinema from the early 50s, most notably the films Yambao and Mulata, which are, if I am not mistaken, some of the earliest depictions of Santeria themes in film. Mercedes Valdes actually appears in the films.

-Zeppo
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Postby Zeno » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:38 pm

I found this reference on the internet about Celia Cruz in relation to Oddulio Morales. It is here excerpted and auto-"translated" for your pleasure, enjoy:

"Stellar figure of afrocubana music, she already has a place assured in the history of the sort. Its race of more than five decades was recognized anywhere in the world. And one is not a done phrase: Celia is admired in all the continents, from Japan to Zaire, Canada to France its work has deserved the popular favor.

One is going away to turn a year of its physical game, because its presence in world-wide musical history stays indelible. Certain she is that before and after the same one, it has been reason for deserved tributes and reviews dedicated to her trajectory, carried out by people with more authority and knowledge than that this writes.
Although at some moment it seems to be it (to review its extensive race seems to make it inevitable) these notes single are, from the perspective of a Peruvian fan who only twice saw it in platform, a count of facts and sensations around its person.
In my country, more than three generations they heard and they danced its songs. Of her my grandfathers spoke to me when first LPs de Salsa saw me buy my and also my mother did, when she found only in the room of my house oyendo his music, as much old the LPs with the Sonant like the new ones of the Sauce of then, without hiding her admiration for that also cheered its childhood.
One does not know with exactitude when history began. He is something that Celia, very careful, always tried to maintain privily. Nevertheless we considered that the year of its birth is between 1924 and 1927.
The date and the place, on the contrary, the same Cross has mentioned them even in some of its songs. It was born 21 of October (the same day of the Panamanian Christ de Portobelo, as she says to Ismael Creek to him in the live version of Cúcala with the Fania All Stars ) in the 47 of the Mountain street, between Enamored and Holy Suárez (as she sings in the Trátame as I am of the Tribute to Benny More' II of Tito Bridge ), in Havana, Cuba.
It was second of four brothers, but she lived together to other thirteen children, between brothers, cousins and nephews, servants by Simón Cruz and Catherine Alfonso, its parents who baptized like Celia Charity. Being one of the greater ones, Celia helped to make sleep the minors singing to them, making the first uses to that voice, that already created commentaries. Nevertheless, nothing made foretell a future musical race, since as she remembers, its aspiration was to be masterful.
But nobody escapes to its destiny and, encouraged by its Serafín cousin, the Hour of You registers and wins the popular aid "'", who the radio transmitter Thousands Ten - Garci'a Serra (administered by the Popular Party Socialist, that with time would become the Communist Party of Cuba) organized looking for new talents for music. Celia sang the tango "Nostalgia"
Oriented by its father, and after finishing to its studies in the state school Republic of Mexico, amateurs registered in the Normal School for Teachers, singing in sporadic shows that allowed him to resolve these studies. When graduating it looks for advice between its professors and one of them, quite rightly urges it to leave its race of teacher, when occurring account of the talent of the young student: "As singing you will win in a day, which as masterful you will be able to gain in everything a month". Celia registers in the Conservatory of Music of Havana and supported by its mother, it overcomes the paternal resistance, and it perfects its vocal conditions.
His ídolo of that one then ones was the Empress of the Danzonete Paulina Alvarez, also black and of impressive vocal timbre like the Celia young person, who begins to appear in different radial transmitters like Cuban Radio Progress, accompanied by pianistas like Candito Ruiz and Isolina Cheek (the Dos remembered author of the Gardenias). In radio CMQ, located in Monte and Prado, it sings with the orchestra directed by David Rendón and in radio Thousands Ten first afros subjects like El vocalize his town hall of the Mercé, Pacongrí, Mi yalé, Tuñaré and Ruego to Changó.
It alternates in the famous space La Supreme Court of the Arte with Elsa Valladares and Aurora Linchetti and in other scenes (like the Martí Theater and the emitting Union Radio) with figures already consecrated like Rita Montaner, Zoraida Marrero, Ester Borja, Ignacio Bola Villa of Nieve and the teachers Gonzalo Roig and Ernesto Lecuona.
Its first professional payment receives in the Theater the Faustus where Integra to the magazine the Mulatas de Fuego, next to the vocalistas Elena Burke and Vilma Valley, in addition to a group of dancers. In Radio alternating Suaritos Chain with Obdulio Moral, Xiomara Alfaro, Mercedita Valdés and with the orchestra directed by Leonardo Timor. One says that of that then first recordings are his.
Its repertoire was based on afros and romantic songs, feeling predilection by the bolero until Blue Chain acts in Radio where it remembers that Isolina Cheek advises to him: Muchacha, you are of color and we do not have much field with the romantic thing. You must sing afros and guarachas. He mounted to me That the rumberos come, of Eliseo Grenet, and other subjects parecidos.
His first international tour happens in 1948 with the Mulatas de Fuego, produced by Roderico Neyra Rodney and includes Mexico and Venezuela where it acts in the Festival of Maracaibo and sings with Leonard Melody and its orchestra the subjects Se approaches comparsa and Comparsa barracón and with the great band of Luis Alfonso Larrai'n melodías La mazucamba and Quédate negra.
From return, always with the Mulatas de Fuego it arrives at the famous Tropicana night club and is accompanied by the Gloria Matancera, returning to the Radio Station Suaritos interpreting subjects like El crab and langosta, Cosas mejicanas and Whispering.
The great jump in its rising professional race happens in 1950 when Rogelio Martinez, director of reputed the Sonorous Matancera, contracts it to replace to borícua Mirta Silva. Celia makes debut with the group 3 of August singing En the time of colonia and No we want chaperona. The change was resisted in the beginning by the producers of the disquera Seeco, that did not understand as Rogelio fill vacancies with the very popular Silva with a novice, but Martinez offers all their confidence it, which Cross does not disappoint with its recordings debut with the group: "Cao Cao Picao Peanut" and "Siguaraya Bush", made in January 1951, that cause pleasing impression between the fanatics of, already at that time, more popular Sonant in all Cuba. "
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Postby Berimbau » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:03 am

You asked about slave era drums. Actually most of my article's references were to handcarved drums, although I do remember that the WPA ex-slave narratives had a few references to barrel drums. Latrobe noted one in NOLA in 1819, and Lafcadio Hearn also found one still being played there in the 1880's.
The barrel drum which you depicted has some confusing nomenclature associated with it. I'll try to reconstruct some of my research from memory and will thus have to take some liberties, so please understand. This type of drum is from Kongo, one player sits on it using his hands to play it and the heel of his bare foot to change the drum's pitch. A second player strikes a time line pattern, called cata, on the shell of the drum near its apex.
Your example here is quite large, much like the "toombah" drum Bellesario depicted in 18th century Jamaica. This is where some confusion arises. The Afro-Cuban tumba Francescas are very large peg-tuned Fon-derived drums, always played in a vertical position. The horizontally played drum which you depicted was also known at times as a "tumba," tuba," or "toombah," but was more popularly called a ka drum. Tumba is a term encountered both in Spanish and Ki-Kongo.
The term ka stems from a shortening of the Ki-Kongo term, kabandu. Hearn and others thought that ka was a creolization for quart, as the drum's barrel shell was initially a measured recepticle. Jamaicans still call these drums kabandu and use them in the Kumina religion, an African-derived religion based on the veneration of ancestors.
This type of drum has a very widespread use throughout much of the Caribbean and variants are even found in Sao Paulo State in Brasil. I'm not certain when the first New World reference to these drums occured, but around 1870 or so, it seems that there was an explosion in their popularity. This was perhaps a cultural consequence of the so-called "late arrivants," African indentured laborers who migrated to the islands to fill the labor void in the sugar and tobbaco industries after slavery o $5 or $10, I have just found out that the Jazz Museum at the Mint is still closed. The book kiosk at the Jazz State Park also had it, and they are at:
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
419 Rue Decatur
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-589-4806
http://www.nps.gov/jazz/

Saludos,



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Postby Zeno » Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:38 am

Berimbau,

Thanks for the info. BTW, did you notice the pegs on the Ka in the photo? I cannot make out if it has a string snare like a Tumba Francesa. Also , when I was in Guantanamo at a Tumba Francesa dance held at the famous house, at a cerain point later in the evening, maybe not part of the usual happenings I don't know, but one of the tumbas was put on the floor and played exactly like what you see in the photo with a foot modulating the head. The cata, of course, was not played on that drum shell, because that was played on a very ancient carved tumba shell that had its own stand.

That is why I wondered about the connection. Apparently something akin to Tumba Francesa takes place on several of the islands, at least according to the lecture we were given. It is quite the social function.

Zeno




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Postby Berimbau » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:50 pm

Well I can honestly say that I never heard of a tumba Francesa being played in that manner, but then again I really don't know too much about that tradition. Other than Ortiz, which you have in the original ed., Olavao Rodriguez had an English language article in Manuel's Essays on Cuban music, which I unfortunately no longer have.
Anyway, one hopes for the sake of the poor drummer you depict that it is indeed a snare peg on it, and that he isn't actually enthroned on a peg-tuned drum.....now that could hurt. The old Jamaican toombah drums also had a snare with bird feathers or cowry shells attached to increase the buzz effect. Wish I still had those old Bellisario prints to post for you! Now I vaguely remember Ken Bilby telling me about these toombah drums a few years back. He would know far better than I. Apparently Ken's book on the Maroons is finally out, and I feel confident enough to recommend it, sight unseen.



Saludos,




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Postby zaragemca » Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:14 pm

Saludos,the reference Francesa/name appeared becouse it was brought it to Cuba from Haiti,(which at that time was a French/Colony),after the Haitian Revolt,(that's why they were featured in Santiago de Cuba,Guantanamo,etc.,which was the location were these people concentrated after arriving to Cuba),but its root are in the Bantu/Civilization....Even in relation to Fernando Ortiz, there were a lot of stuff that he missed at that time,or that he couldn't completely understand.Dr. Zaragemca



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Postby Berimbau » Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:57 pm

Zeno, a little from Ortiz might shed some light on the ka drum- tumba francesas connection. Writing abot the ka drum in his "Los Instrumentos," Don Fernando tells us that "Aun es muy frecuente tocar asi en las tumbas francesas de Cuba y Haiti."
I think that when the Haitians immigrated to Cuba, they took BOTH Kongo and Fon derived drums with them. Again the "ethnic" origins of material culture are seldom barriers to their adaptation by other groups. Probably by the time of the Haitian Revolution many of the diverse African traditions in Haiti had already intersected to create a trully transcultural music.
Dr. Z I'm not exactly certain what you meant in your post, so let me try and clarify it. If you were claiming that Ortiz was unaware of the Haitian-Cuban connection, I assure you he certainly was, and he writes eloquently of it in his "Los Instrumentos." Obviously there WERE some things he might have missed, afterall, that's something which we ALL do, but in this instance, he was on it!
Now if what you meant in your post was to claim a Kongo origin for the peg tuned drums of the tumba de farncesas, I would strongly doubt it! The African technology represented by the peg tuning system is a VERY strong diagnostic marker in localizing the origins of these instruments in the Gulf of Guinea. Fon, Ewe, and Yoruba, to name the most important of these trans-Atlantic culture bearers. Kongo drums tend to use nailed heads or the rope and wedge system. Myriad examples might be forwarded, but this should not be necessary.
Now these tumba francesas drums, although ultimately originating in the Fon speaking areas of Benin, were imported to Cuba FROM Haiti, and are as such, somewhat different from contemporary drums from Benin. or Haiti. I think that they are also distinct from the older forms of Arara drums also present in Cuba.
The trans-Atlantic slave trade was a multi-track, multi-time series of events which were unique from place to place. Each of the Diasporan cultures experienced successive waves of African culture bearers, each group coming from different places in Africa and at different times. The picture is further complicated in the Caribbean by successive waves of inter-island migration, and something known in Cuba could easily re-appear in Jamaica, something from Haioti comes to Cuba, etc. Caution with those tumbas.



Saludos,



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Postby zaragemca » Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:50 pm

Saludos,not he was ok in relation to the Haiti/Cuba connection,I'm talking in reference to other things which he missed to study about it.(e.g),why he would study the criminality of blacks in Cuba,and not the general criminality,(that topic would be really more interesting). ??? .Dr. Zaragemca



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