A Drummer’s Testament
← All volumes

Volume I

The Work of Drumming

Dagbamba culture and the role of drumming in Dagbamba society: friendship and character, the making and beating of drums, praise-names, dances, funerals, and the training of drummers.

25 chapters

Part 1 · ALHAJI IBRAHIM'S INTRODUCTION TO THE DAGBAMBA WAY OF LIVING

  1. I-1The Benefits of Friendship and Why We Should Do the Work as a GroupA story to stand for the work; Dagbamba folk stories and proverbs on friendship and knowledge; the importance of good character
  2. I-2The Dagbamba Way of Living in the Villages and in the TownsThe attitude of modern children toward their tradition; how traditional values are taught in the villages; the character of villagers compared to town people
  3. I-3The Sense of Dagbamba and Their Living in the Olden DaysThe importance of knowing how one's parents and grandparents lived; recollections of precolonial and colonial life; types of work and the sense of Dagbamba
  4. I-4Respect and the Dagbamba Way of Living TogetherRespect and how Dagbamba show respect on the part of: those who live in the same area, their families, their in-laws; examples: patience, temperance, not “showing oneself,” gathering and eating with others, respect for strangers
  5. I-5The Way of a Stranger and How a Stranger Should Live in DagbonHow Dagbamba behave toward strangers; being a stranger and traveling; the benefits of traveling; bad things that can happen to strangers; how a stranger should behave with the people
  6. I-6Greetings and Respect in DagbonGreetings and festivals; the importance of greetings; how Dagbamba greet; greetings and respect; greetings to different types of people: chiefs, rich people, maalams; gifts and gift-giving; messengers and greeting; greetings in the household; greetings to in-laws; greetings during the festival months; how Dagbamba greet their friends in different villages; how Dagbamba receive one another in greetings
  7. I-7How Dagbamba Send MessengersHow Dagbamba send messengers to greet others; types of people who are messengers; how a messenger uses sense
  8. I-8The Debt of the StomachProblems of working together as a team; practical problems of poverty and their relationship to commitment to long-term collaborative projects; issues of sharing potential benefits and maintaining continuity of the team
  9. I-9Patience, Truth, and How We Should Do the TalksThe nature of long talks; different types of lies; how to listen to the talks; patience and asking questions; instructions to John about “repairing” the talks

Part 2 · DRUMMERS AND DRUMMING IN DAGBON

  1. I-10The Work of DrummingAlhaji Ibrahim’s family background and where he learned drumming; his respect as a drummer; an example of Baakobli and market-drumming: how Alhaji suffered and how he learned patience; the need to learn work well; learning both guŋgɔŋ and luŋa; the difference between those who have traveled to the South and those who only know Dagbon
  2. I-11The Respect of Drumming and How Drumming Started in DagbonDrummers and chiefs; why chiefs need drummers; the family relationship of chiefs and commoners; the origin of drumming: Bizuŋ as the son of Naa Nyaɣsi; origins of Namo-Naa; original drumming of the land-priests in Dagbon: Ʒɛm; the eldership of the guŋgɔŋ and yua over the luŋa; the seniority of the luŋa; the respect of drummers and chiefs
  3. I-12Drummers and Other Musicians of DagbonThe strength of drummers with chiefs; Punyiɣsili: waking the chief; names people call drummers; drummers as women; begging the chief; if Namo-Naa and Yaa-Naa quarrel; the seniority of drummers to other musicians: the origins of Akarima and the timpana; dalgu; names in Dagbon; the origins of fiddles (goonji), solo string instruments (mɔɣlo and jɛnjili)
  4. I-13How We Make Our Drums and GungonsCraft aspects of drumming; how drums are carved; ritual obligations of drum-makers; how drums are sewn; types of skins used; varying quality of drums and skins; how drum-sticks are made; how guŋgɔŋs are made and sewn
  5. I-14How a Drum Is BeatenTechnique and style; innovation and tradition; the right wrist and quickness; the right hand and the left hand in beating; talking on a drum and using the left hand; beating coolly and beating with strength; changing styles and steadiness; examples

Part 3 · MUSIC AND DANCING IN COMMUNITY EVENTS

  1. I-15Proverbs and Praise-NamesWhy Dagbamba like proverbs; what proverbs add to living; how to understand proverbs; how people use proverbs as names; proverbial names and “praising”; introduction to the family; how drummers beat praise-names on their drums; where and how drumers use praise-names; the role of praising at community gathering; introduction to praise-names and dance beats
  2. I-16The Praise-Name Dances and the Benefits of MusicThe origins of dances in chieftaincy and the drum history; examples of dances based on praise-names of former chiefs; overview: how music helps in weddings, funerals, namings, festivals; happiness and music; happiness and dancing; music as something to give to the children
  3. I-17How a Person Should DanceThe relationship of dancing and drumming; differences in styles of dancing; differences between men's and women's dancing; how people learn dancing; aesthetics of good dancing
  4. I-18Baamaaya, Jera, Yori, Bila, and Other Dances of DagbonBaamaaya; Jɛra; Yori; Bila; Nyindɔɣu and Dimbu; Gingaani; dances of the craft-guilds and other tribes; group dances compared to individual dances
  5. I-19Takai and ToraThe Takai and Tɔra dances; their importance in community events
  6. I-20FuneralsFunerals as an example of the role of music in community events; the elder of the funeral house; how a dead body is bathed and buried; the stages of a funeral: three days, seven days, shaving the funeral children, “showing the riches,” sharing property; why Dagbamba like funerals; the importance of funerals; music and funerals
  7. I-21Muslims' Funerals and Chiefs' FuneralsHow Muslims are buried; stages of a Muslim funeral; sharing property; how chiefs die; how chiefs are buried; the installation of the Regent; chiefs funerals and the work of drummers; example: Savelugu; the Gbɔŋlana and the Pakpɔŋ; seating the Gbɔŋlana; the Kambonsi; Mba Naa and showing the riches; selection of a new chief

Part 4 · LEARNING AND MATURITY

  1. I-22How Children are Trained in Drumming and SingingTypes of toy drums for children; first proverbs; how a child is taught to sing; discipline; children who are “born” with the drum; a child who was trained by dwarves; learning the chiefs; learning to sing; performing; how young drummers respect their teachers; obligations to teachers; teaching and learning
  2. I-23Traveling and Learning the Dances of Other TribesWhy Dagbamba learn other tribes' drumming; the difficulty of learning the Dagbani language; the drumming styles and dancing of: Mossis, Kotokolis and Hausas (Jɛbo, Gaabitɛ Zamanduniya, Mazadaji, Adamboli), Bassaris and Chembas and Chilinsis, Dandawas, Wangaras, Gurumas, Konkombas, Frafras, Ashantis, Yorubas; differences in the drummers from different towns
  3. I-24Drum ChieftainciesThe origins of drum chieftaincies; drum chiefs and chieftaincy hierarchies; the different drum chieftaincies of the towns; how a chief drummer is buried; how a drummer gets chieftaincy; chieftaincy and leadership
  4. I-25How Drummers Share MoneyHow drummers earn money at gatherings; example of Namo-Naa and his messengers; sharing money to elders; “covering the anus of Bizuŋ”; how Alhaji Ibrahim divides drummers into groups and shares money; why drummers share money to old people and children; what drumming doesn't want; the need for “one mouth”