Drums

Another means of expression is through music. The Akan people of Ghana use drums to communicate without words. A master drummer will play a drum like this one and relay several messages at festivals and ceremonies. Here's how it works:

  • First, the drummer expresses a certain rhythm to the dancers.
  • He also communicates messages to the audience through various beats (like a vocabulary) that the audience already understands.
  • And he will carry on a dialogue with the other drummers and musicians who are performing.

Visually, the audience will also be able to "read" the many images carved into the drum. These carvings often refer to certain proverbs and stories.

ODYSSEY HOME NEAR EAST Egypt GREECE ROME
© Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University,
Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester and Dallas Museum of Art
For more information please contact odyssey@emory.edu.
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