The Dùndún Talking Drum of the Yorùbá Community in South-West Nigeria

Authors

  • Cecilia Durojaye

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v9i7.1902

Keywords:

dùndún, Yorùbá, music, drum, culture

Abstract

Numerous drum ensembles characterize the music landscape in Nigeria. The dùndún of the Yorùbá, however, provides a unique exemplar for the understanding of indigenous art forms in Nigeria in general and the Yorùbá culture in particular. Given the significant role of the drum among the Yoruba, the paper gives a detailed introductory insight into the dùndún tradition with a specific focus on the definition and origin, the dùndún ensemble formation as well as the musical and socio-cultural functions of the drum. The paper aims to contribute to the preservation and appreciation of indigenous music and musical instruments.

References

References

Alana, O. (2004). Traditional religion. In N. Lawal, M. Sadiku, & A. Dopamu (Eds.), Understanding Yoruba Life and Culture (pp. 65-80). Trenton, NJ: African World Press.

Akinjogbin, I. (2002). Milestones and social systems in Yoruba history and culture. Ibadan: Olu-Akin.

Akpabot, S. (1986). Foundations of Nigerian traditional music. Ibadan: Spectrum Books.

Amegago, M. (2014). African drumming: The history and continuity of African drumming traditions. New Jersey: African World Press.

Barber, K. (1981). How man makes God in West Africa: Yoruba attitudes towards the Orisa. Africa, 51(3), 724–745.

Barber, K. (1990). “Oríkì”, Women and the proliferation and merging of “òrìṣà”. Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, 60(3), 313–337.

Durojaye, C. (2019a). Emotional responses in the performance practices of selected Yorùbá dùndún ensembles. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Durojaye, C. (2019b). Born a musician: The making of a dùndún drummer among the Yorùbá people of Nigeria. Journal of Arts and Humanities, 8(1), 43–55.

Ekanola, A. (2006). A naturalistic interpretation of the Yorùbá concept of Ori. Philosophia Africana, 9(1), 41–52.

Euba, A. (1990). Yoruba drumming: The dùndún tradition. Bayreuth: Bayreuth African Studies.

Ibisankale, K. (Producer & Director). (2007). Dùndún, the talking drum (documentary). Nigeria: Kadibus Entertainment.

Idowu, E. (1962). Olodumare: God in Yoruba belief. London: Longman.

Kaminski, J. (2008). Surrogate speech of the Asante ivory trumpeters of Ghana. Yearbook for Traditional Music, 40, 117–135.

Lindon, T. (1990). Oríkì Orísa: The Yorùbá prayer of praise. Journal of Religion in Africa, 20(2), 205–224.

Omojola, B. (2010). Rhythms of the gods: Music, spirituality and social engagement in Yorùbá culture. Journal of Pan African Studies, 3(9), 232–250.

Omojola, B. (2012). Yorùbá music in the twentieth century: Identity, agency, and performance practice. Rochester NY: University of Rochester Press.

Strand, J. (2009). The sambla xylophone: Tradition and identity in Burkina Faso. Unpublished PhD thesis, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.

Vidal, A. (2012). Traditional music instruments of the south- west Nigeria: Forms and distribution. In F. Adedeji (Ed.), Selected Topics on Nigerian Music (pp. 43–53). Ile-Ife: Obafemi Awolowo University Press.

Villepastour, A. (2010). Ancient text messages of the Yoruba bata drum. England: Ashgate.

Villepastour, A. (2015). Asọ̀rọ̀ igi (wood that talks). In A. Villepastour (Ed.), The Yorùbá God of Drumming (pp. 3–32). Mississippi: University Press.

Downloads

Published

2020-07-20

Issue

Section

Article

Similar Articles

21-30 of 190

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.