AFRO CUBAN BATA
The bata drum originated in Nigeria
and later traveled to Cuba and the U.S. The bata drum is used in
Yoruba ceremonial music. The rhythms are directed to the Orishas,
who are deities of the Yoruba religion. Each of the drummers traditionally
belonged to the sacred order of Anya. The bata batterie has three
drums, each with two heads: okonkolo ("the
child") the small drum which keeps the pulse; itotelle
("the father") carries melody and answers the calls;
lya ("the mother") plays the calls and solos and
is the largest drum.
During some pieces the cajon drums are played by the bata batterie.
This family consists of the tumba, segunda and quinto.They were originally fish crates and were played on the waterfront
by the dock workers. Today cajon drums are made out of wooden boxes
to replicate the fish crates.
BRAZILIAN SAMBA
The most popular form of music and dance in Brazil is the samba.
The “semba” variety originated
in Angola, West Africa, and was introduced into Brazilian culture
by the African slaves. Variations of the samba tradition
are played throughout the country.
Spoken Hand’s samba batterie is grounded in these traditions:
“Samba Batucada,“ is a
style of samba played during the carnivals in the streets of Rio
De Janeiro. The music and dance are part of a lavish cultural celebration
featuring multi-person “samba schools,” adorned in wild
costumes and ornamentation. This type of samba features an eclectic
mix of instruments: the “agogo,”
(double metal bell), “apito,” (whistle),
“caixa,” (snare
drum), “surdo” (bass drum),
“tamborim” (small frame drum), “chocalho/ganza”
(shaker), “cuica” (talking
drum), “reco reco” (scraper),
and the “repinique” (high tom drum).
“Bloco Afro,” is a reggae-like
samba rhythm popular in Bahia. This type of samba developed in the
1970s to honor African heritage and history, and was used as a tool
to fight social injustice in Brazilian society. The ensemble that
includes the repinque, the surdo, and the tamborim. “Sambe
De Roda” is a circle dance form, accompanied by call
and response singing, set to the “atabaque”
(conga), “pandeiro” (tambourine),
“triangulo” (triangle), and
agogo. “Capoeira” is a
martial art/dance form accompanied by call and response song originally
practiced by the slaves to develop fighting skills and agility.
It is performed with the berimbau/caxixi (bow & gourd shaker)
and pandeiro, atabaque and agogo. “Ijexa,”
a rythym both secular and religious from the Afro-Brazilian religion,
Candomble. Instruments include the agogo, atabaque, and xekerê (African rattle.) The wood block, the gong, the nutshell rattle
and the pau de chuva, or rain stick and other percussion instruments
are used to simulate the sounds of the rain forest in the samba
tradition.
NORTH INDIAN TABLA
"Tabla," the classical drum
of North India, is several hundred years old. The tabla emerged
from the merging of Hindu and Muslim cultures, replacing the much
older 2 headed drum, the “pakhawaj.
” Historically, (and to this day,) the tabla was played in
the temples. The tradition gradually spread to the royal courts,
and finally the concert stage, where it has become the most prevelant
drum in North Indian music. Tablas are played widely
as a solo instrument, as well as accompaniment to instrumentalists,
vocalists and dancers of both classical and folk styles. Tabla consists
of two tunable drums. The higher pitched drum is called the “tabla,”
or “dayan.” The lower drum
is the “baya” or “bayan”.
Both are covered by a goatskin. Perhaps the most lyrical of all
hand drums, the tabla has an oral language all its own; each stroke
has its own corresponding Sanskrit syllable. The
complex cycles of tabla rhythms are called “talas.”
There are innumerable talas in the North Indian rhythm system. Just
as melodies are made up of notes, “talas”
are made up of many “bols.”
Students of the tabla spend years studying and practicing with a
guru of the tradition to gain mastery of the instrument.
WEST AFRICAN DJEMBE
The “djembe” is a West
African wooden drum played largely in Mali, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Senegal and Guinea. Its shape originated from the mortar that
was used to pound grain in African villages. It is thought to have
originated in Mali and played for religious ceremonies, although
the Malenke people of Guinea , and in particular the Ballet African
and National Dance troupe of Guinea, are credited with popularizing
the djembe in the West.
Essential to the djembe batterie are the low register drums that
carry the melodic foundation: the “kenkeni”
is a small double-headed drum also made of wood (sometimes metal)
that is played by a stick and a small bell. It is the time keeper
(or metronome) of the ensemble. It covers the high tone of the three
double-headed drums; the “sangba”
is a slightly larger drum that has a similar profile as a kenkeni.
It is played with a stick and covers the mid - range of the batterie;
the “jun jun,” is the bass
drum of the ensemble and carries the lowest sound. It is often made
of a 55-gallon metal can and can be played with two sticks. |
