Talking Drums
Africans use many methods to communicate. One of the most popular is the Talking drums. The drums are said to talk because their purpose is to mimic the sound and tone of the voice in order to convey a message. This was very useful were one may need to communicate a message over a distance and do so quickly – e.g. in times of war, or to convey a message one doesn’t want an enemy or another group to understand.
In order to understand what message is being said, one has to also consider the context in which the drums are being played. Below is a video of the Dodowa Talking Drummers in action during the Shai Ngmayem 2015 in Dodowa. The lead is making a series of Dangme statements (proverbs, words of inspiration and encouragement) and the drummer is replicating what is said using the drums.