After Gyil Comes Drums
/With lessons up and running, its time to tackle the drums of Ghana. The drumming I've learned in 2011 focused on technique, and only scratched the surface of the Dagara Music Center's repertoire. Since traveling to Ghana in 2011 I've added a handful of new pieces , but far from what I've wanted to know. Through my 9 months in Ghana I was able to learn more than I ever expected. Not only was I able to learn many pieces I've heard for years, but I was able to learn pieces that I never knew existed.
The first pieces I started with was Kpanlogo, Kpatsa and Fume Fume, all from the Ga ethnicity. Kpanlogo originated between the late 1950's to early 1960's by the youth of Accra. To this day Kpanlogo rhythms and songs can be heard on the streets of Accra, and almost all popular music has aspects of Kpanlogo embedded in it.
While I know less about Kpatsa and Fume Fume, both are performed for important Ga ceremonies. Kpatsa is associated with the Dipo ceremony, a celebration of coming of age. Young girls would traditionally go through a long process of learning about womanhood and marriage. Once this process is complete, the girls are brought out and celebrated by the community. Fume Fume on the other hand celebrates traditional Ga spiritual practices, and is associated with healing the sick. All of these pieces present unique challenges, and great enjoyment when being performed.