La Rumba in Africa - Some pics from drum ensembles in Africa

[pavloconga]

Greetings and Happy New Year to all. javascript:emoticon(':)')

I'd like to post a few pics from the trips I've made in the last 8 years or so to Ghana, West Africa, to a coastal fishing village called Nungua. Going to Africa opened my eyes to so much more of what is possible in rhythm. What first struck me was the unforgettable intensity and the incredible skill with which these musicians play. They play with everything they have, it seems they play like their life depends on it.
I am posting some pics of some of the ensembles there and if there's more interest I will post some more.

For me, it's been really fascinating to see and hear the similarities - and the differences between west african ensembles and the rumba groups in Cuba - which of course have their roots in Africa. I've spent time in Cuba too, so experiencing both cultures has given me a good perspective.

Some of the pics show smaller conga shaped drums, hand carved from a single log (the predecessor of the conga?), providing the melody of the rhythm, with higher pitched drums like a djembe or a tall narrow drum called a "Lightning Drum" playing a similar role to the quinto in Afro Cuban music. Incidentally, I was told by the local musicians that djembe drums only started to be incorporated into their music in the last 15 -20 years or so as they started to be introduced from musical cultures outside of Ghana. There's a lot of innovation happening too. For example, I saw a percussionist in a Hilife band with 9 low pitched wooden conga shaped drums all harmonically tuned and sounding at times like a bass guitar!

Some of the rhythms from this area (which are probably not so well known outside of Ghana) include; Fumé Fumé, Kakatsofa, Ogé, Kpanlogo, Kpacha, Otufo, Kpelé and many others. Some of them are secular and some are played for religious purpose. To me, all of these rhythms are incredible, very deep and require a lot of study (years) to understand. The individual drum patterns themselves are relatively easy to grasp but to understand each rhythm in its cultural context, the timing and feel of solo phrasing and the way it works so precisely with the dancers is another matter. I felt I just scratched the surface and I felt very privileged just to have the opportunity of playing a supporting drum or bell parts in some of these ensembles. This in itself can be very challenging; some of the rhythms go from slow to extremely fast tempos in a fraction of a second and you also must not be distracted by the soloist who is playing in all sorts of unusual places and timings. Amazing and very creative!

What I found really surprising about Ghana was how generous and willing so many of the musicians were to share their knowledge. I would often be invited to sit in and play a supporting bell or drum part. In their culture (the Ga people) this is how young kids learn, first they'll be hanging around listening, then one day someone will say, "here, take the bell", or "play the low drum". I remember once when having difficuty with a particular pattern someone played it on my back - for me a new way of understanding!

Of course the standard of musicianship over there is extremely high - which is not to say that everyone is a drummer. Some of the guys were at the time members of the Pan African Orchestra (see pic). These musicians are doing things with drums, rhythm, dance and voice that is really astounding. It's not possible to describe with words. Perhaps I can post some mp3 from mini disc if I can work out how to do it.

I'd also be interested to hear from people who have studied or are planning to study either in Cuba or Africa. I'll put up a few pics for now and if people are interested I can post some more.

Happy New Year and blessings to all our drumming brothers and sisters around the world. javascript:emoticon(':)')
My best regards to all and my heartfelt thanks to all my teachers both here and abroad!
Pavlo
Australia


Kusun rehearsal pic, January 1998.
From left: Attah Addo, Tuza Afutu, Yaw "Captain" Asumadu, Kwache (standing) and Nii Odai, Note the square frame drum to the right.

[pavloconga]

Hi I can't see the images appearing in the posted message. can someone let me know if the pics are appearing or not?

They're posted as 50k jpegs through 'file attachments'

thanks
Pavlo

/Users/pavlo/Documents/captain.jpg

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... aptain.jpg

[pavloconga]

Got it, they're appearing now.

Kusun rehearsal, Ghana, sept 2001

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... usun01.jpg

[pavloconga]

Foreground: my good friend and teacher master drummer Adotey Richter, Nii Tettey Tetteh, and master drummer David Afotey.
P

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... dotey2.jpg

[pavloconga]

Drum heaven.
Rehearsal sept 2001 with dancer Frank and at right soloist Te'ofu.
Pavlo

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... -frank.jpg

[ABAKUA]

Great stuff, excellent to see more members posting up their pics.

A trip to the motherland of the drum would certainly be inspiring.
Please post more pics if you have them.




Edited By ABAKUA on 1136274125

[windhorse]

Great Pics! Thanks for that!


Those Tied peg drums are called Twinchin. I've wondered for years if they are the predecessors to congas but have never had verification. Anybody know?

[pavloconga]

Hi,
I don't know for sure if they are the predecessor of the conga but it would seem to make sense.

I haven't heard of the name you mention (Twinchin). There are two families of peg type drums in these pics. The first is the ones which look more like a conga shape which the Ga people in Ghana call "Kpanlogo" (which is also the name of a rhythm which is played on these drums). That kind of drum is played mainly with the hands.

The second type of drum - which is much broader across the belly (see the last pic posted, 2nd drum from the right) is from the Ewe people of Ghana. The Anlo-Ewe drums consist usually of 5 main drums which are played with sticks or one hand and one stick. (see pic below). These drums sound amazing - particularly the soloist's drum the "Atimevu" which is almost 2m in height, and is usually played standing with the drum angled on a supporting frame. It has a sound that seems to vibrate your insides!

peace and regards
Pavlo



Edited By pavloconga on 1136365594

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... 99-ewe.jpg

[ABAKUA]

I have a drum here which I bought on one of my travels many years ago.. It seems to be of the same family of that which you posted.. Here are 2 pics I took moments ago in one of my rooms.

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... 47-pic.JPG

[ABAKUA]

Another angle...

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... 8-pic2.JPG

[ABAKUA]

Brother Akdom shows how to build a Gwoka drum in this discussion: CLICK HERE TO VIEW THREAD

[Berimbau]

Happy New Year Everyone,
I really enjoyed seeing Pavloconga's interesting pictures of the Ghanian drum battery. The technology represented by the peg-tuning system is a VERY GOOD diagnostic marker for a specific area of coastal West Africa where it's use is so dilineated. Although these peg-tuned drums were present in Cuba, the Ghanian drums and their associated repertoire have little, if anything, to do with the development of Afro-Cuban rumba, but let me return to that issue a bit later.
However, there is some evidence of the wide-spread diffusion of this peg-tuning technology in many New World cultures. There is a drum in the British Museum collected in 18th century Virgina by Sir Henry Sloane that is nearly identical to a contemporary Ghanaian apenti drum. Whether it was actually manufactured in Virginia by an African-American slave or taken aboard a slave ship to "dance" (exercise) the captives has been debated without a clear answer. Perhaps a wood/hide expert could put us onto a clearer path here. As my own field photos are gone with Katrina, a good picture of the drum appears in Dena Epstein's much recommended book, "Sinful Tunes & Spirituals." The late Harold Courlander once kindly sent me his field drawing of the remanents of a slave-made peg drum being used by an African-American family as a grain barrel in 1950's Alabama. Other references to African-derived peg drums come from the Georgia Sea Islands where at least one maker survived into the 1930's, read the book "Drums & Shadows," culled from a fine ethnographic survey conducted by the W.P.A. back in the day. The ethnomusicologist David Evans discovered that the Grandfather of one of his infiormants, Eli Owens, also made peg-style drums in turn of the century South Mississippi. Further evidence comes from the Houma Indians who seem to have borrowed the technology to create a transcultural membranophone circa 1905.
Now back to our contemporary Ghanian photos where one should note that the Malian style djembe, formerly quite foreign in Ghanian traditional ensembles, now finds a place of pride there. With the ascendancy of the djembe in Western culture, makers ALL over Africa are "recreating" this venerable tradition to feed the burgeoning market for African music. Now even Balinese makers are also helping to fill that need. Culture is learnable and forever changing, as these pictures so clearly indicate.
So what what then is the ultimate African source of rumba? I believe that this is a loaded question as rumba is CLEARLY a Cuban artform, informed by both African and European musical values. However, as so many of my colleagues have so asstutely pointed out, it was the tambors Yuka, the tambors Ngoma, and other Central African-derived traditions that are at the heart of rumba organology. Surely Yoruba, Spanish, and other cultural influences are evident in the syncretic rumba, but there is little evidence of any direct Ghanian influences.
Back to our peg-tuned drums. In Cuba they seem to come from two sources, Fon-speaking slaves extracted from Benin, and a secondary prolifferation from Haitian migrant agricultural workers. It IS possible that the loop and peg tuning system, present in Cuban communities, may have influenced the later development of the tuning hardware used on the tumbadoras, but the jury is still out. I DO think this is quite tenable as NO other European or African technology seems to provides us with a better "fit," if I may so pun. Of course all should consult the works Fernando Ortiz, Olavo Rodriguez, Ned Sublette, and Nolan Warden for a more comprehensive overview of rumba histiography.


Saludos,



Berimbau

[windhorse]

Thanks Berimbau for the list of caveats,, but the question still remains, "Is there a precursor drum to the conga? And if so, would the shape have been derived from Ghanain drums?" Obviously the tuning system didn't, but as you say perhaps even that might have had influence...
Also, I'll bet Nolan has as an entire ethnographic treatise on the subject.

Dave

[davidpenalosa]

Hi Dave,
The Cuban conga drum (Congo drum) evolved from Congolese hand drums (known commonly as ngoma). The Congolese made up the majority of slaves on the island, were there longer than any other prevelant African ethnic group and are the most significant group to have contributed to the Afro-Cuban rhythmic sensibilities. The Yoruba, Fon and Efik all came in great numbers in the 19th Century and their music, dance and language have remained more intact than that of the Congolese. The Congolese music has been more creolized since it's been on the island longer. Consequently, Congolese music is the basic template of Cuban music. Many Musical terms used in Cuba are of Congolese origin. Even the Yoruba iyesa drums (okonkolo, itotele, iya, baba) are commonly called by the names of the Congolese drum family: kachimbo, mula, caja and bajo (OK one Spanish name).

The Ewe drums more resemble the Arara (Fon) drums. That's not surprising since the two related groups live side by side in Dahomey. Berimbau is right that the North West African djembe is becoming the pan-African drum, a role formally held by the Cuban conga.

-David

[davidpenalosa]

Sorry Berimbau ,
I skimmeed your message before, re-read it just now and see that my explanation was unnecessary since you already answered the question. I didn't mean to be redundant.
-David