Videos Of West African Talking Drums

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases five selected videos of traditional West African talking drums.

The content of this post is presented for historical, educational, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.

My thanks to the musicians & dancers shown in these videos. My thanks also to the producers, and uploaders of those videos.

FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order).


Video #1: The talking drum-Donno.mpg-Kwame Ansah-Brew @ Frostburg State Univ. [Ghana]



Video #2: African Talking Drum- Live Drum Experience [The Gambia]



Uploaded by joelsamuel on Sep 15, 2009

West African Talking_drum performed so masterfully and captured by my camera while taping a documentary on Musa Mboob a well known African drummer who has gone on to make a name now on the world stage...

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Video #3: Fontomfrom - Royal Music of the Akan People - Otumfuo Opuku Ware II - Ayie [Ghana]



Uploaded by africanbushdoctor on Feb 7, 2011

Excerpts from the Traditional Funeral of Otumfuo Opuku Ware II (Late Asantehene). Sunday, March 21, 1999 to Thursday, March 25, 1999. This is an excerpt from inside the Royal Palace of the Asante "Manhyia". The music and dance is called Fontomfrom. Fontomfrom are "State Drums" of the Asante people and they recite very ancient and deep proverbs. The dance is also a language which is also known to be extremely deep.

Filmed in Kumasi, Ghana By Nana Kimati Dinizulu.

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Video #4: Kete - Dance & Music of the Akan People of Ghana [Ghana]


Uploaded by africanbushdoctor on Feb 14, 2011

This is an example of Kete. Kete is dance and music of the Akan people of West Africa. The following was taken from Kwabena Nketia's, Drumming in Akan Communities of Ghana.

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Video #5: Talking Drum Safari [Nigeria]


Uploaded by headfullofrhythm on Feb 22, 2009

In Spring of 2008 I travelled to Ife, Nigeria where I stayed with a family of drummers and the studied talking drum. This movie gives an introduction to talking drums and details their use and application.

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Video #6: Kofo The Wonderman Talking Drum Solo [Nigeria]



Uploaded by martincongahead on Apr 16, 2011

Nigerian bandleader and master percussionist performs solo on talking drum at the Zinc Bar in NYC.

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Video #7: YORUBA DUNDUN TALKING DRUM ENSEMBLE (FROM LAGBAJA.COM)



Uploaded by richardolatunde on Oct 26, 2010

The Yoruba DUNDUN Talking drum ensemble, as seen on Lagbaja's site lagbaja.com. The smaller drum at the end of the line is the Gudugudu.

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RELATED LINKS

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/akan-talking-drums-verses-from-rs.html Akan Talking Drums Verses From R.S. Rattray's book "Ashanti" - Part I

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http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1148 VIDEOS OF TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS (D-N)

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