TALKING DRUM

The talking drum is an hourglass-shaped drum from West Africa, whose pitch can be regulated to mimic the tone and prosody of human speech. It has two drumheads connected by leather tension cords, which allow the player to modulate the pitch of the drum by squeezing the cords between their arm and body. A skilled player is able to play whole phrases. Most talking drums sound like a human humming depending on the way you play. Similar hourglass-shaped drums are found in Asia, but they are not used to mimic speech, although the idakka is used to mimic vocal music.

The origin of the talking drum can be traced to the Old Oyo Empire in South-West, Nigeria. It was introduced as a means of communication during inauguration of the Alaafin of Oyo. It is also used during festivals and served as a signal to herald the arrival of an important personality. The talking drum is arguably one of the oldest traditional instruments in Africa.

The Yoruba people of south western Nigeria and Benin and the Dagomba of northern Ghana have developed a highly sophisticated genre of griot music centering on the talking drum.

Many variants of the talking drums evolved, with most of them having the same construction mentioned above. Soon, many non-hourglass shapes showed up and were given special names, such as the Dunan, Sangban, Kenkeni, Fontomfrom and Ngoma drums. Interestingly, this construction is limited to within the contemporary borders of West Africa, with exceptions to this rule being northern Cameroon and western Chad; areas which have shared populations belonging to groups predominant in their bordering West African countries, such as the Kanuri, Djerma, Fulani and Hausa.

African Musicians from the old school to the new school has found so much love in this instrument. The talking drum has a way of making their sounds more African. The drum is mostly beaten by men, but of recent women has started playing it as well.

Types of Talking Drum

There are different types of talking drums. The only way they can be differentiated is by size. They include the Iya-Ilu (Mother of Drums), gangan, and omele. 

SINCE inception, the talking drum is played uniquely by the Yoruba people, although many other African tribes play talking drums, majority sometimes do not go beyond the peripheral to display the exact meaning but only showcase basic rhythms of drum conversations.

However, given the aphorism that a thousand mile begins with a step, the drum music culture has gradually carved a niche for the Yoruba race given the deep and enviable messages it relays while being played. Yoruba Drum Festival, YDF, is a leadership initiative, cultural diplomacy and tourism development which are strategically created to serve as a refreshing introduction of Yoruba culture and language to a global audience. Given to the importance of drum and drumming in Yorubas social cultural life, The Yoruba Drum Festival, YDF was developed by Ayodele Ganiu in December 2009 at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, ICD, and Berlin in Germany to help promote the rich cultural legacy of drum. As an ICD Academy alumnus, Ganiu worked in consultation with Katharine Muller who is the former Managing Director of Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, ICD, Mark Donfried, Aare Lekan Amida the President of Egbe Omo Oduduwa Berlin e.V and Mr Ayodele L. Ayodeji, the former Minister, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Germany.

VDF is also a project of Intro Afrika, an art firm co-founded by Ganiu to promote intercultural relations by showcasing African cultures to global audiences through music and other artistic productions. The major goals of YDF are to reconnect the Yoruba in Africa and in the Diaspora to their roots, a necessity to expose aspects of Yoruba culture to a global audience and to encourage interest in and preserve the Yoruba language. In its process of contributing to tourism development in Yoruba land, YDF is also affiliated with reputable international organisations which include; Egbe Omo Oduduwa Berlin e.V, African Languages Technology Initiative (ALT-I), Egbe Omo Oduduwa, Kenya and Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, ICD. At the recent Lagos public awareness show at Yoruba Tennis Club, at Onikan, YDF made the audience to know that there is a conceptual engagement between the mediating role of Yoruba performers and the thematic and structural features of  their performances. Also, Yoruba entertainment performances, he explained, are defined by the constant interplay of the elements of play and spirituality as controlled by the agency of the performer. At the show, the drummers demonstrated how drumming in Yoruba land goes beyond mere entertainment.

One out of many in the business is the renowned queen of talking drum in Africa, Coming from a family with deep traditional, religious and cultural backgrounds, Ara had the opportunity of witnessing tradition festivals, cultural events such as; OGUN FESTIVAL, ILEYA FESTIVAL and many others. It was during one of such festivals she began to pick up interest in the Talking Drum and had the rare opportunity due to her royal ancestry of meeting the best talking drummer in the land and soon she fell completely in love.

So when it was time to create an identity for Ara, many musical instruments were tried on but after coming in contact with the Talking drum again, she quickly relived her childhood and in no time she settled for it.

Ara has been showcasing the love she got for talking drum, and this said instrument has really made her what she is today and has equally made her tour the world with her music.

When next you travel for a festival or occasion in South-West, Nigeria, look out for the talking drum!

http://www.kusaa.com/Music/Blog/TALKING-DRUM

T-E-K-N-O…that name we all love to hear when a song comes on either on radio, TV, club, or at our favorite events.

You cannot possibly talk about the rapid growth and likeability, of African music (Afrobeats) without mentioning the name – Tekno, amongst other artistes in our fast-growing Nigerian Music industry. Just name it, hits after hits, after hits, and he never gets tired of it. It’s like the fiber of his very being is filled with them.

This former Abuja-based act was first introduced into the music industry by yours truly (Notjustok), with two singles titled – ‘Go Low’ & ‘Mess‘ back in 2012.

His core fans will even remember his firm impression in the music industry titled – Holiday featuring Davido. That was his break-out song if my memory serves me right. Then again, feel free to correct me (if you think that’s not the single that brought him to the spotlight). He went on to follow Holiday up with Onyenekwu (a remix to Ice Prince’s Olekwu), Anything, and the massive single that gave him the boldness to rub shoulders with the high and mighty at the time, – Dance, and the rest, they say, was history.

But Tekno has not always been this successful, believe it or not. Before all the glitz and glamour you have come to be accustomed with today, he has had his own fair share of what every upcoming artiste would normally go through during their career which is (paying the damn dues and growing with the experiences that come along with it). As a young eaglet, Tekno wanted to learn how to fly so bad, dare greatly and hunt for his own meal, but folks who didn’t realize his true potential tried to confine him to a box. His very first label – Bodyshaker Music apparently tried doing that, but Tekno had to leave the label to pursue working with folks that will get him to the place he needed to be musically. That’s where Kay Money Entertainment stepped in. His second label made every effort to go the extra mile with Tekno because they believed in his talent and future. It was nder them, he released two amazing singles (Onyenekwu and Holiday featuring Davido). Even with a very successful ride with Kay Money Entertainment, Tekno’s sight was still fixated on conquering Nigeria and Africa as a continent.  Thanks to then part-owner of Triple MG –Iyanya, and his partner Ubi Frankin, Tekno’s career kicked into turbo speed. He got signed to the Made Men Music towards the end of 2013,  and was given the freedom to express himself, in whatever form that was. With his new found freedom to express his creativeness, the Nigerian music industry, as we know it, has never been the same ever since.

Tekno no doubt has attained the level of A-list celebrates and also carved a niche for himself as one of the most paid artistes in the  Nigeria music industry.

For more details on Tekno miles visits http://www.kusaa.com/Music/Artist/Tekno-Miles.

Having children outside wedlock has become a common practice among Nigerian celebrities as more of them aspire to join the club of fatherhood with no intention of getting married. Listed below are some of them. ORITSEFEMI Oritsefemi Majemite Ekele, the afrobeats singer whose story changed after his re-make of one of Fela Anikulakpo Kuti’s popular songs Double Wahala is a proud celebrity dad with two daughters from two different baby mamas. He was recently quoted as saying he has no plans of marrying either of his baby mamas. SEUN KUTI The last son of the legendary afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, recently declared publicly that he does not believe and he has no intention of getting married soon because he can’t imagine losing half his earnings. However, the dude likes being a father. Seun and his partner, Yetunde George Ademiluyi, have a lovely daughter. In an interview, the star talked about the exhilarating experience of fatherhood. “Training your first child is a life experience. It is a lesson in selfless service. You know, babies are strong but they are also quite dependent. You know you have to sacrifice your time, and now I am the one who sacrifices my time all night. My partner works all day, I work all night. I am in the studio anyway, so I can stay awake all night. Well, it is interesting and my baby is quite peaceful,’’ he stated. WIZKID Despite the fact that he happens to be one of the youngest and busiest fathers in the Nigerian music scene, Wizkid whose real name is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, still has time to spare for his kid. The artiste is said to be fond of his son, Boluwatife and his baby mama, Shola Ogudugu. However, there is no sign that the rich lad would be getting married anytime soon though he is enjoying his role of a father and often posts pictures of his son on his instagram page. 2FACE Now often referred to as the ‘father of all nation’, 2face was linked to three baby mamas before he eventually tied the knot with Annie, his longtime girlfriend. 2face has three children with Pero Adeniyi namely; Rose, Justin and Oluwakitan, two with Sumbo Ajaba namely; Nino and Zion and two with Annie Macaulay, namely Isabela and Olivia One of his baby mamas, Sumbo, who had two lovely kids for him, recently got married to a Pastor in Lagos. When 2face was asked by an online magazine how he felt about it, his reply was “Sumbo deserves all the best; I wish her many good things in her marriage. She’s a nice person.” MAY D Akinmayokun Awodumila, popularly known by his stage name May D, is on the list of Nigerian celebrity Dads. He has a son with his long-time girlfriend, Debola. May D and his girlfriend, Debola welcomed their son on the 24th of January 2013. May D was rumoured to have wedded Sweden born Carolina Wassmuth who he has been reported dating for sometime. FLAVOUR Chinedu Okoli popularly known by his stage name Flavour N’abania is an international singer who is yet to get married. The 31 year-old singer has a beautiful daughter with Ex- Delta soap queen, Sandra Okagbue. They welcomed their daughter in September, 2014. OLAMIDE Olamide Adedeji fondly called ‘Baddo’ is the newest father on this list and he only welcomed a handsome son earlier this month with his long term girlfriend, Aisat Suleiman and the singer is infact very proud to be a dad. The 25-year-old rapper has since named his son Maximiliano, and in the spirit of being referred to as a father has since changed his Instagram name to Daddy Miliano. TERRY G Terry G, whose real name is Gabriel Amanyi, is a proud father of one with his UK-based girlfriend, Mimi Omoregbe. She gave birth to a baby boy in November 2012. He was said to have conducted a silent traditional wedding with Mimi in 2011. TIMAYA Timaya became a father in 2012 and he said he is in no hurry to tie the knot “yet” with his baby mama, Barbara. Even though he admitted that Barbara was his kind of woman. Timaya, born Enetimi Odom named his daughter Emmanuella Perere Timaya. He recently celebrated his baby mama via his Instagram page, saying, “After giving birth to my child she still looks hot. Mama Emma oo.LOL. JESSE JAGZ Ruby, a mother of one is Jesse Jagz’s baby mama. The talented rapper/singer is MI’s younger brother and the brothers have known Ruby since their childhood as the singer is very much close to the Abaga family. The singer met the Abaga brothers back in Jos in the church choir where MI was the music director. Jesse Jagz and Ruby have a seven-year-old daughter, Jade. Jesse Jagz, a proud and committed father has often talked about his daughter in his songs, most especially on the song entitled This Jagged Life. The duo aren’t dating anymore but those close to them say they remain close friends and are jointly raising their daughter. ICE PRINCE Babatunde Bimbo became known in 2012 after she confessed to be carrying the child of the Nigerian rap star, Ice Prince Zamani, a confession that was trailed by denials and rejection. Bimbo, an undergraduate at that time, had to drop out of school to keep the pregnancy. The baby was christine Toluwalase. Ice Prince, who initially distanced himself from mum and child, later admitted in an interview to being the father. In a sudden twist of event, Ice Prince embraced his child and re-named him Jamal Zamani. In an interview, Ice Prince explained that he had denied his son because things were complicated at the time. “It was complicated back then, I didn’t really know what was happening and I wasn’t sure of certain things. So, the best I had to do then was deny it and sort out things first. Now I know he is my child and I have done everything as a father ever since,” he was quoted to have said in the interview. Nigerian male celebrity artists can afford to have and will continue to have children out-of-wedlock because no one really holds them accountable. In fact, it is expected that those in a profession which is considered unruly, and anything but intellectual, will yield results like what we see i.e. children out-of-wedlock.

One of Nigeria's finest R&B and Soul Music acts Jeremiah Gyang ushered us into the new year with a brilliant masterpiece video single, entitled “ARISE PLATEAU”, a theme song for “Plateau on the move” featuring his lovely wife Ladi Gyang.

An inspirational song which was well interpreted with the beautiful video shoots that showcase the rich culture of the people of Plateau State in Nigeria.

The video has beautiful scenery, as it shows us some beautiful rocks, valley, waterfall, the marketplace, women band, the industrious nature of the people of plateau, it also shows us how happy the children, youth and the elderly are.

The song preaches unity and love, stressing the need for peace and harmony in the land and Nigeria at large.

This video was directed by Johannes Preuss.

 

A close catch-up with Jeremiah Gyang… Find out the inspiration behind the “Arise Plateau” video and lots more. Enjoy!

Kusaa: Hello

Jeremiah: Hey how are you doing brother

Kusaa: Pleased to have you on Kusaa

Jeremiah: It's absolutely my pleasure!

Kusaa: You just released a new video titled “Arise Plateau”

Jeremiah: Yes I did, and I'm grateful to my God for the opportunity.

Kusaa: Greater Part of the song talks about Unity but the clip showcases plateau's       blessed scenery, what's the correlation?

Jeremiah: Oh YES! Our God given motherland is currently being pillaged continuously by enemy forces and my people have been blinded and then divided through ALL sorts of ideologies. I'm hoping that showing them the land that is at stake would evoke the desire to find the solution, and escape the unending deluge of attacks.

Kusaa: From the song’s content and showcase, i would have expected the Title to be ‘Plateau the Beautiful’ or ‘United Plateau’, why Plateau Arise?

Jeremiah: The song is specifically designed to wake our people up from the deep slumber they're in.

Kusaa: Tell us about the inspiration/motivation behind the song

Jeremiah: It would seem there's a strong grip of amnesia on my people! We are ignorant of our history consequently we seem to be given as a spoil to all our enemies. My people perish for lack of knowledge. Our God rejected us for practicing the exact same customs as the Christians are practicing today. We NEED to leave off from ALL forms of religions and return to the KING JAMES Bible. That's our history book.

Kusaa: You also had your wife on this one

Jeremiah: Oh yes I did! She's my helper so she helped me on this one.

Kusaa: Any plans for more collaborations?

Jeremiah: I can't say I have any solid plans, but they're welcome.

Kusaa: Can you tell us about the headgear? We can't help but notice you wore it in the video “Coming back” and also on your latest video “Arise Plateau”, could it be your new trademark? Tell us about it.

Jeremiah Some call it a turban, but it's called a mitre. It is in the Bible. Zechariah 3:1-5 KJV. It's what our ancestors the ancient Hebrew Israelites wore.

Kusaa: Is there something new for your fans soon?

Jeremiah: You know I'm always working to cater to my listeners. There's always something up, but I'll leave it for its due season.

Kusaa: How will you rate Nigerian music today?

Jeremiah: Confusing! I have to say that we're beginning to look more ridiculous than our colonial masters. The music sounds better though, but the content on the other hand invites our God's wrath! The vitriol in our lyrics and the immoral mannerisms in our music videos only serve to show how visceral the agenda of our enemies has eaten into our morality! The more we don't return to our God the more we remain their prey! May our God AHAYAH (I AM) help us. Amen.

Kusaa: Nice having you… Thank you so much!

Jeremiah: It was my pleasure brother.