Updated on September 11th, 2019
Getting Back To Basics With African Drums
As technology continues to change how we do a majority of things in our lives, it can be hard to remember the history and culture that surround many mundane objects. For instance, drums are one of the world’s oldest instruments and come with a rich history all their own. Drums have significance in a variety of cultures around the world and are used for both recreational and ceremonial use. While many of today’s drumming fanatics are steering towards electronic drum sets for their portability and quieter sound, there are still those who love to get back to basics with traditional African drums. Check out Barking drum for the best information on the best drums.
African drum history
African drums have a rich history and are closely tied into the culture of the African people. In such cultures, drums signified marriages, deaths, and births and were even used to communicate between villages, such as the approach of enemy forces. Just like traditional acoustic drum sets, there are hundreds of variations to the African drum. These variations include a difference in the skin used for the head of the drum and the design of the drum itself.
Just as drums played a significant role in transmitting information between villages and announcing major events in a community, they played a role in the darker parts of African history as well. During the beginnings of slavery in North America and the Caribbean, white slavers attempted to dispel any communication between African slaves in order to prevent rebellions and uprising. Realizing that drums formed a major part of communication for the African people, many slavers attempted to stop any access to drums. Fortunately, this did not work and drums continued to grow in popularity both during and after slavery.
How African Drums Influence us today
Thanks to the introduction of African drums to the Americas, African music has survived to this day in several forms of music. Today’s R&B music features traditional heavy bass drumming. Rap music is reminiscent of the chanting that would accompany traditional African drum music. Religious Trance music use drums heavily as they believe that they can transfer God’s voice and energy. Even North and South American music has elements that originated in African drums and music. The introduction of ragtime and later Jazz music began this integration that we see in the music of today.
For those who want to really get back to basics and add an earthy, warm sound to their music, African drums are a must. African drumming has a number of benefits, including a heightened sense of well being, a sense of unity for those who play in drum circles or groups, an improved sense of rhythm and groove, and an increased ease with public speaking.
Try an African drum today
Those just starting out with drumming can benefit from the ease of use of an African drum, among other things. But it can be hard to determine the best African drum for beginners because of the various designs and styles that such handmade drums come in. African drum buying guides such as those from Barking Drum can help both beginners and experienced drummers to determine the best drum for them based on price, size, ease of use, and more. To learn more about African drums, check out Barking Drum today!
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