Yoruba Talking Drum

The unique function and sound of Yoruba drumming make it an essential element to study. The tonal nature of the Yoruba language contributes to the tonal emphasis of Yoruba drumming. While sound variation in many Western cultures serves primarily an aesthetic purpose, the sound and rhythm of the Yoruba language work with the language and are essential in the creation of meaning (Smith, 2001). The importance of tonality in the Yoruba language opens the possibilities for rhetorical and semantic word play. The father of the Yoruba novel, D.O. Fagunwa exemplifies the arbitrary differences between oral and written works. His prose compositions rely on tonal variations as equally as an oral presentation of a story. Fagunwa’s prose writing has inspired a “Fagunwa tradition” and style that many Yoruba authors attempt to reproduce. Smith (2001) suggests that Fagunwa’s prose is so dependent on the auditory senses that it can be classified as an oral performance (Smith, 2001). Emphasis on entertainment and edification, arousing emotions, and melodious structure constitute some of the elements required for performance.

The necessity of tone variation to create meaning extends to the musical instruments of the culture. Yoruba drums such as the bata and dundun drum imitate the tonal nature of the Yoruba language and function as a type of metaspeech in Yoruba rituals. The drumming can mimic the sounds of speech and indicate certain emotions through its rhythm and tonal variations. In religious ceremonies, the metaspeech function of the “talking drum” serves to excite the audience and increase the intensity of spiritual enlightenment (Nzewi, Anyahuru, & Ohiaraumunna, 2001).

Originally, African warriors used the “talking drum” to communicate during battle and warn fellow soldiers of approaching attacks. However, in the religious setting, the sounds of the drum connect the humans to the spiritual world. The beats operate on a higher and more spiritual level than capable by the human voice. Human linguistics fail to command the attention needed to contact the supernatural world. Outside of religious ceremonies, the Yoruba continue to value the drum for its melorhythm. Melorhythm is a term that brings attention to the melodic and rhythmic characteristics of the “talking drum” and stands in contrast to the western view of drums as percussion and non-tonal (Agawu, 2001). The poetic nature of drumming is useful for name-calling ceremonies, narration, and dramatic dialogue (Nzewi, Anyahuru, & Ohiaraumunna, 2001). The drums encode a lingual text in their beats and the meaning and rely on the cognitive awareness of the audience to interpret its message. The meaning of the drums change in each context, as the audience determines not only the length of the performance but also much of its content. There are no standard performances or a set duration of performance. There are, however, specific tunes or statements in each performance specific to certain drums. The master musician directs the performance, but does not control it autonomously (Nzewi, Anyahuru, & Ohiaraumunna, 2001).

The two main types of Yoruba “talking drums” are the dundun and the bata. The Yoruba name for the “talking drum” is dundun, which means "sweet sound." It is called the “talking drum” because its sound imitates the tonal quality of the Yoruba language. The dundun drum is a large double-ended, hourglass-shaped, bass drum that can be played either standing up or on its side. Its deeper, more powerful sound makes it useful for inciting an audience to higher state. The drumming performance at a Yoruba funeral serves as a good example of the tonal variation of the dundun. The drum speaks, "Le lu lu lu; le lu lu lu!” which simulates the sounds of a person weeping ( Nzewi, Anyahuru, & Ohiaraumunna, 2001).

Another type of drum, the bata, traces back 500-800 years and remains popular in Nigeria today. The Yoruba use the bata drum to worship Shango, an actual king in Yoruba history and the orisha thunder god. Its double membrane top cannot be tightened like the dundun membrane, which makes it difficult for the drummer to glide from one tone to another. It is therefore more difficult for the audience to understand. The bata drums are used to speak the Yoruba language, recite prayers, religious poetry, greetings, announcements, praises for leaders, and making jokes. The bata retains its popularity in Nigeria and is widely used in Cuba. Bata drums are still played today and are used almost strictly for religious or semi-religious events in Nigeria. The sacred drumming of the bata ensemble is comprised of five different drums. Gray (1999) describes a popular bata ensemble in Yoruba culture, “The bata ensemble here is made up of an Iya (mother), Ako (middle), Omele Abo (small female drum), Omele Ako (male small drum), and Eki (a double-headed drum similar in size to the Ako which is held vertically with the large heard up)” (p. 4).