Ewe drumming is a type of music played by the Ewe people of Ghana, Togo, and Benin. The Ewe people are well known for their skill in drumming across West Africa. The complex rhythms in Ewe drumming are similar to those found in Afro-Caribbean music and late jazz. Originally, Ewe drumming was used by warriors to sing or perform. Today, the songs are performed for celebrations or recreation. For example, Agbadza was originally used for warrior dances but is now used to celebrate events.
Variation
Ewe drumming varies and is played in many different ways. For example, an Ewe musician from Togo might play a piece or instrument differently from an Ewe musician from Ghana. The Fon people of Benin are another example of this variation. They build their villages, towns, and cities on water, so they do not use the same upright drums as other Ewe people. Instead, they use large gourds on water as drums.
Instrumental performance
An Ewe drumming group includes several drums, a bell, and a rattle. Each group often has a main drum, an iron bell named a gankogui, and other drummers who play secondary drums.
Bell instruments
The gankogui, also called the gakpevi, is a bell or gong instrument played with a wooden stick. It is made of forged iron and has two bells: a low-pitched bell (called the parent bell) and a high-pitched bell (called the child bell). The child bell is always attached to the parent bell. The gankogui is an essential part of traditional Ewe music. The player must strike the instrument in a steady and accurate way throughout the music. A gankogui player must be reliable, and if they do not fully understand the instrument and its role in the drumming group, they are considered not knowledgeable enough. In a drumming group, the gankogui player does not use any changes in playing style.
— David Locke, (2010: web)
The atoke is a bell instrument made of forged iron and shaped like a boat or a banana. It is held in the player’s weaker hand and struck with a small forged-iron rod held in the stronger hand. The rod is hit against the outside of the bell to create sound. The atoke has the same function as the gankogui and is sometimes used in place of it. Both the gankogui and atoke come in many different sizes.
Rattle instrument
The next instrument used in traditional Ewe drumming is called axatse (pronounced ah-hah-chay). The axatse is a rattle-like instrument made from a hollowed gourd covered with a net of seeds or beads. It is usually played while sitting. The player holds the axatse by its handle in their dominant hand and shakes it up and down, hitting the hand and thigh to create two different sounds. The axatse plays the same rhythm as the bell but adds extra notes between the beats. It is sometimes called the eighth note version of what the gankogui plays. It also helps to enrich or reinforce the rhythm created by the gankogui. Overall, it adds energy to the music and helps move the music forward. The axatse produces a dry, rattling sound that is lively and full of energy.
Standard bell pattern and accompanying axatse part
The most common part of the gankogui is the 12-pulse basic Ewe pattern, also called the standard pattern. The axatse part that goes with the standard pattern is: "pa ti pa pa ti pa ti pa ti pa pa." The "pa's" are made by hitting the gourd against the knee. The "ti's" are made by lifting the gourd upward and hitting it with the free hand between the bell hits. Like many African rhythms, the axatse part starts (first "pa") on the second hit of the bell (1a), and the last "pa" happens at the same time as the first hit (1). By ending at the start of the cycle, the axatse part helps create the repeating pattern of the overall rhythm. See: standard bell with accompanying axatse part. Atsiagbekor.
Master drums
In most West African drumming groups, a lead drum or master drum guides the ensemble. The master drummer tells the group when to play and when to stop. He also plays signals to tell other players to change the speed or pattern of the music. In some ensembles, the master drummer plays the main theme and adds new ideas. In Ewe drumming, the master drummer has a conversation with the kidi drum. He fills in the spaces between the kidi’s beats to make the music more complete. The master drum can also add new ideas during the performance.
In Ewe drumming, the term "master drum" refers to several types of drums. These include the atsimevu, sogo, kroboto, totodzi, and agboba. These are the only drums used as master drums. Different master drums are used for different songs. For example, when a group plays "Agbadza," a traditional Ewe war dance, the master drummer uses the sogo. The way the master drum is played is similar for all types, regardless of the drum used.
The basic master drum is called the sogo. The sogo can always replace the master drum in a group. It is also the correct master drum for some songs. The sogo is larger than the kidi drum and is taller and wider. It can be played with two wooden sticks, one hand and one stick, or both hands. The choice depends on the style of the music. Sometimes, the sogo plays the same supporting role as the kidi. It makes a low sound and is played while sitting or standing.
Another master drum is called the atsimevu. It is the tallest Ewe drum, about 4½ feet high. To play the atsimevu, the drummer leans it over a stand called a vudetsi, stands on one side of the drum, and plays it with two wooden sticks or one hand and one stick. The atsimevu makes a sound that is in the middle range with some deep tones.
A newer master drum is the agboba. It was created by the Ewe people in the 1950s for a new piece called agahu. The agboba is the deepest-sounding drum used by the Ewe. It has a wide body and is played leaning over a stand, like the atsimevu.
The kroboto and totodzi are two more master drums. They are very similar, but they differ in pitch. These are the smallest drums used by the Ewe, measuring about eighteen inches in length. They are sometimes used as master drums and sometimes play the same role as the kidi. The kroboto and totodzi are always played with two wooden sticks, and the drummer usually sits while playing.
Other drums
The kidi is a mid-sized drum that is played using two wooden sticks. Like other Ewe drums, its drumhead is made from the skin of a deer or antelope. The drum’s body is made of wood and is sometimes decorated with detailed carvings. It usually plays an eighth note pattern with some changes, such as playing a roll instead of the first note in a phrase. The kidi is described by the Ewe people as "talking" or "conversing" with the lead drum. This interaction is called drum dialogue. The kidi often adds small changes to its playing at suitable moments.
The kaganu is the smallest and highest-pitched drum used by the Ewe, but it also has some low sounds. It is about 20 inches tall. Like all Ewe drums, the kaganu’s drumhead is made from antelope or deer skin. Its body is made of wood and is often decorated with carvings. The kaganu is played with two long, thin wooden sticks, and the drummer usually sits while playing. Its rhythm pattern remains the same throughout a piece. For example, in Agahu, the kaganu plays two notes on the upbeats. Since Agahu is played in 4 time, the kaganu would play two notes on the "ands" of beats 1, 2, 3, and 4. The kaganu also adds energy and rhythm to the music.
Tonal drumming
Like many drums from West Africa, the master drum and sometimes the kidi drum can copy the language. Many African languages use tone to change the meaning of words, so drummers can copy these tones by making sounds at different pitches. Some drums can also copy consonants by hitting them with a stick or hand in different ways. The Ewe people play a pair of drums called atumpan (pronounced ah-toom-pahn), which are used throughout Ghana as talking drums. Atumpan players stand while using two sticks shaped like the letter L to play the drums.
Cross-rhythmic structure
The ethnomusicologist David Locke says, "Cross-rhythm is common in Ewe drumming." In fact, the main rhythmic structure of Ewe music comes from cross-rhythm. Cross-rhythm was first noted as the base of sub-Saharan rhythm in early writings by A.M. Jones. Later, C.K. Ladzekpo, an Ewe master drummer and scholar, explained it in detail during lectures. David Locke also wrote about it extensively.
The most basic cross-rhythm in Ewe music and Sub-Saharan African music traditions is three-against-two (3:2) or six-against-four (6:4), also called a vertical hemiola. The cycle of two or four beats is the main beat pattern, while the pattern with three beats is secondary. Ladzekpo explains: "Secondary beat scheme means a rhythm pattern that is not the main one in a cross-rhythm. Like the main beat, each secondary beat is counted based on a different number of pulsations. When these beats repeat in a musical section, they form a distinct secondary beat pattern."
Novotney notes: "The 3:2 relationship (and its variations) is the base of most common polyrhythmic textures in West African music." The 3:2 ratio is the main or theoretical form of sub-Saharan rhythmic rules. Agawu says, "The 3:2 rhythm is key to understanding… because 2 and 3 are part of one unified whole."
The following bell pattern is used in the Ewe rhythm called kadodo. A 24-pulse pattern crosses the barline, creating a contrast with the meter by using three groups of five beats across eight main beats (two measures of four main beats each). The three single strokes in the pattern are muted.
The kadodo bell pattern is a variation of three "slow" cross-beats that span two measures, a type of large-scale hemiola. The cross-rhythm is three-over-eight (3:8), or within a single four-beat cycle (one measure), the ratio is 1.5:4. The three cross-beats are shown below as whole notes for visual emphasis.
Other References
- Robert Ayitee and Kwashi Amevuvor are Ewe master drummers from Ghana, a country in West Africa.
- Ladzekpo, CK. "Foundation Course in African-Dance Drumming." Drums and Drumming, 1995. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415164952/http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/people/ladzekpo/Foundation.html
- Kinka: Traditional Songs from Avenorpedo