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African Drums: The Talking Drums of Techiman

Many African people speak tonal languages whose tonal patterns can be imitated by drums. This means the drums can "speak" and communicate over long distances. Among the most famous of these people are the Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana, including the Asante, Fanti, and Bono people of the kingdom of Techiman. This DVD video shows the drum ensemble of the Bono people of Techiman in the royal palace at the funeral of the late Omanhene, in February, 2004. The drummers play a series of seven songs, which are repeated by both the senior, elder drummers, and by their young apprentices. Narration by the Akan scholar Kofi Sakyi, who explains what each song means. This is real African drumming in village context in Africa, not the "made-up" stylized and romanticized inventions of Hollywood, so if you want to see how real Africans play the drums, and hear real drum music, this is the video for you.