What instruments do the Ewe people play?
Instrumental performance An Ewe drumming ensemble consists of several drums, a bell, and a rattle. Each ensemble usually has a master drum, an iron bell called a gankogui, and a group of secondary drummers.
What instruments are found in Ewe Agbekor musics?
Atsiagbekɔ: Background and Instruments
- gankogui (pronounced gahn-KOHG-way): two-tone iron bell.
- axatse (pronounced ah-HAHT-say): African gourd rattle.
- kagan drum (pronounced kah-GAHN): high-pitched accompaniment drum.
- kidi drum (pronounced kee-DEE): medium-pitched accompaniment drum.
What is Atsimevu?
The atsimevu is an open single-headed cylindrical drum that is part of the traditional Ewe percussion set. It is the master drum of the percussion ensemble. Usually the atsimevu is played solo within an ensemble and is placed in a metal or wooden stand (wudesti) because of its weight and the way it is played.
What are the six instruments used in the GAHU drumming style?
The instruments in a typical Gahu ensemble are gankogui—an iron double bell; axatse—a gourd rattle; and the drums kaganu, kidi, sogo, and gboba. Ensembles may also include an atoke bell and atsimevu, a large drum. There is a correspondence between the names of the drums and the rhythms they play.
What does Agahu mean?
Agahu: a circle dance created prior to World War II by Egun speakers in Benin speaking people of Ketonu, possibly as a modification of a dance style called “gome”.
What are two uses for the talking drums of the Ewe of Ghana?
The two drums, played for dance, communication and language, have different pitches and tones. Infante-Amate said they are played with sticks and are considered talking drums because they can imitate sounds of some African languages, like the Ewe language.
How many percussion instruments are in Agbekor?
The traditional Agbekor percussion ensemble consists of a bell, a gourd rattle, and four drums. Each part played by the ensemble in itself is not too difficult. The challenge is to hear them within a polyphonic texture that seems to change depending on one’s point of musical reference.
Which instrument plays the timeline in Agbekor?
The sogo part uses a lot of repetition with some variation, while the atsimevu part becomes increasingly complex as the piece progresses. The very beginning of the piece is monophonic, as the gankogui plays the timeline, but this is very brief, as the atsimevu enters halfway through bar 1, and the sogo in bar 3.
What drums are used in Ghana?
Akan drums are used in the Ashanti, Fante and Akyim/Akim Tribes of Central and Southern Ghana. The different families of drums are named after their dances. Adowa and Fontomfrom share mostly the same drums as do Asaadua and Sikyi.
What instrument is the timekeeper of the Ghanaian ensemble?
Gankogui
Gankogui (pronounced gahn-KOHG-way): two-tone iron bell One of three “timekeeper” instruments, the gankogui’s fundamental pattern remains unaltered throughout the entire form of the piece. Traditionally, there is one gankogui in an Adzrowo ensemble.
What instruments are played in Ghana?
Traditional music It features a mix of melodic composition on stringed instruments such as the kologo lute and the gonjey fiddle, wind instruments such as flutes and horns, and voice; with polyrhythms clapped or played on the talking drum, gourd drums or brekete bass drums.
Who created African dance?
Black Africans brought their dances to North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean Islands as slave labor starting in the 1500s. In the west these dance styles of hundreds of Black ethnic groups merged with white dances, forming the extension of the African aesthetic in the Americas.
What is Ewe drumming?
The long master drum called atsimevu is the father of the Ewe drum family. Together, they send a thunder through the forests that you can hear even miles away. Ewe drumming is definitely one of the coolest drumming styles I’ve heard so far! Just take a look at Agbadza , probably the most famous of all Ewe rhythms and dances.
What are the characteristics of Ewe music?
Instrumental performance. An Ewe drumming ensemble consists of several drums, a bell, and a rattle. Each ensemble usually has a master drum, an iron bell called a gankogui, and a group of secondary drummers.
What is the function of the atsimevu and Sogo?
The function of the Atsimevu is to lead the rest of the group through a performance. The performer utilizes a variety of strokes to produce a rhythmic language communicating with the rest of the ensemble. The Sogo is the second most important drum in the ensemble next to the Atsimevu and is the largest of the supporting drums.