INTRODUCTION
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You may wonder or ask; what is the talking drum or, why is it called the the talking drum, or does it have the mouth to speak?
Below are the answers to all these questions.
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The talking drum was a method of communication, it was also used to announce the arrival of an important personality. thoughit is known in many several cultures by different names; tamanin by the Dyula of Mali and Burkina Faso, mbaggu by the Fulani of sub-saharan Africa, kalangu by the Hausa, dundun or gangan by the Yoruba of Nigeria, Benin republic and Ghana, doodo by the Songhai people. But i will be dwelling on the dundun or gangan by the Yoruba of Nigeria, cause I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria.
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HISTORY
It is not certain where exactly the talking drum originated, however it is believed it originated from Oyo in western Nigeria, knowing it is the cradle of Yoruba civilization and the talking drum is significant in the history of the ethnic group.
HOW IT IS PLAYED
The talking drum from its description is an interesting piece of musical instrument, which when struck produces a pitch which mimics speech tone.
The drummer does not interpret speech verbally but uses an interpretive description that closely represents the spoken word. The Playing styles are closely linked with the drum's construction and the tonal qualities of each word which the drum mimics by beating the drum-head with a bent drumstick and manipulating the leather cords.
Achieving this is no mean task and it takes years of practice to become a master drummer.
In order to achieve this fascinating display, the drummer positions the drum between his arm, his fingers slightly around of the crown of the drum, supported by his body, holding the bent drumstick in the other hand. He then skillfully squeezes the tension cords which adjusts the strain on the drum-head, so that when he strikes the drum, it produces the mimic tone of a spoken language.
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