Ewe drumming refers to the musical groups of the Ewe people from Ghana, Togo, and Benin. The Ewe are well-known for their skill in drumming across West Africa. The complex cross rhythms and polyrhythms in Ewe drumming are similar to those found in Afro-Caribbean music and late jazz. Originally, Ewe drumming was performed by warriors. Today, the songs and performances are used to celebrate or for fun. For example, Agbadza was first used as a warrior dance but is now used for celebrations.
Variation
Ewe drumming varies and is played in many different ways. For example, an Ewe musician from Togo may play a piece or instrument slightly differently than 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, and because of this, they do not use the same tall drums as other Ewe people. Instead, they use large gourds placed on water as drums.
Instrumental performance
An Ewe drumming group includes several drums, a bell, and a rattle. Each group usually includes a master drum, an iron bell called a gankogui, and a group of other drummers.
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 that are permanently attached. One bell produces a low pitch and is called the parent bell. The other bell produces a high pitch and is called the child bell. The child bell rests on the parent bell. The gankogui is the most important part of traditional Ewe music. The player must strike the instrument steadily and without mistakes throughout the music. The player must be reliable, and if they do not fully understand the instrument and its role in the drumming group, they are considered unreliable. In a drumming ensemble, the gankogui player does not use any changes in rhythm or sound.
— David Locke, (2010: web)
The atoke is a bell instrument made of forged iron. It is shaped like a boat or a banana. The player holds the instrument in the palm of their weaker hand and strikes it with a small forged-iron rod in their stronger hand. The rod is hit against the outside of the bell to make a sound. The atoke has the same role as the gankogui and is sometimes used instead of the gankogui. Both the gankogui and the 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 hollow gourd covered with a net made of seeds or beads. The axatse is usually played while sitting. It is held by the handle in the player's strong hand and is shaken up and down, hitting the hand and thigh to create two different sounds. The axatse usually plays the same rhythm as the bell but adds extra notes between the beats. It can be described as playing eighth notes, which are shorter than the beats played by the gankogui. It has also been described as adding more details to the music played by the gankogui. Overall, it helps move the music forward. The axatse makes a dry, rattling sound that feels lively.
Standard bell pattern and accompanying axatse part
The most common part of the gankogui is the 12-pulse basic Ewe, or 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" sounds are made by hitting the gourd on the knee. The "ti" sounds are made by lifting the gourd upward and striking it with the free hand. Like many African rhythms, the axatse part starts (first "pa") on the second beat of the bell (1a), and the last "pa" happens at the same time as the first beat (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 decides when the group plays and stops, and also signals others to change the speed or pattern of the music. In some groups, the master drummer plays the main melody and adds new parts. In Ewe drumming, the master drummer has a conversation-like rhythm with the kidi drum. The master drummer completes the kidi's rhythm by filling in the spaces left by the kidi. The master drum can also create new parts.
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 drum. The way the master drum is played and the techniques used are similar for all types of master drums.
The basic master drum is called a sogo (pronounced "so-go"). The sogo can always replace the master drum in a group. It is also the correct master drum for certain songs. The sogo is larger and taller than the kidi drum. It can be played with two wooden sticks, one hand and one stick, or both hands. The method used depends on the song being played. Sometimes, the sogo plays the same supporting role as the kidi. It makes a low sound and is usually played while sitting or standing.
Another master drum is the atsimevu (pronounced "ah-chee-meh-voo"). The atsimevu is the tallest Ewe drum, about 4½ feet tall. To play it, the drummer leans it over a stand called a vudetsi, stands on one side of the drum, and uses two wooden sticks or one hand and one stick. The atsimevu produces a sound that is mid-range with some deep tones.
A newer master drum is the agboba (pronounced "ag-bo-bah" or sometimes "bo-bah"). The Ewe people created the agboba in the 1950s to play a new song called "agahu." The agboba is the deepest-sounding drum used by the Ewe. It has a wide body and is played by leaning it over a stand, similar to the atsimevu.
The kroboto (pronounced "klo-bo-toe") and totodzi (pronounced "toe-toe-jee") are two more master drums. They are nearly identical, differing only in the pitch of their sounds. These are the smallest drums used by the Ewe, measuring about eighteen inches in length. They are sometimes used as master drums in certain songs and can also play the same role as the kidi. The kroboto and totodzi are always played with two wooden sticks, and the player usually sits while playing.
Other drums
The kidi is a medium-sized drum played with 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 sometimes has 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 at the right times.
The kaganu is the smallest and highest-pitched drum used by the Ewe, but it also has some deep sounds. It is about 20 inches tall. Like all Ewe drums, its drumhead is made from antelope or deer skin. The drum's body is made of wood and often has carvings. The kaganu is played with two long, thin wooden sticks, and the drummer usually sits while playing. Like the gankokui and axatse, the kaganu's rhythm pattern stays the same throughout a piece. For example, in Agahu, the kaganu plays two notes on the upbeats. Since Agahu is played in four beats, the kaganu would play two notes on the "ands" of beats 1, 2, 3, and 4. The kaganu also adds energy and movement to the music.
Tonal drumming
West African drums, such as the master drum and the kidi, can copy the sounds of language. Many African languages use different tones, so drummers change the pitch of their drumming to match these tones. Some drums can also copy certain sounds by striking them with sticks or hands at different angles and using different parts of the stick or hand. 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 music expert David Locke explains: "Cross-rhythm is common in Ewe drumming." In fact, the main rhythm is created using cross-rhythm. Cross-rhythm was first described as the foundation of rhythms in sub-Saharan Africa by A.M. Jones in early writings. Later, the Ewe master drummer and scholar C.K. Ladzekpo explained cross-rhythm in detail during lectures, and David Locke also wrote about it extensively.
The most basic cross-rhythm in Ewe music and sub-Saharan African traditions is three beats against two beats (3:2), or six beats against four beats (6:4), also called a vertical hemiola. The main rhythm uses a cycle of two or four beats, while the secondary rhythm uses a cycle of three beats. Ladzekpo explains: "Secondary beat scheme refers to a part of a cross-rhythm that is not the main rhythm. Like the main rhythm, each secondary rhythm has its own pattern of beats. When these beats repeat over time, they form a distinct secondary rhythm."
Novotney notes: "The 3:2 relationship (and its variations) forms the basis of most polyrhythmic patterns in West African music." The 3:2 ratio is the core principle of sub-Saharan rhythmic structures. Agawu states: "The 3:2 rhythm is essential to understanding these patterns because the beats of 2 and 3 are connected as a single whole."
A bell pattern used in the Ewe rhythm called kadodo has a 24-beat pattern that crosses the barline, creating a contrast with the main rhythm of eight beats (two measures of four beats each). This pattern includes three single, muted strokes.
The kadodo bell pattern adds three slow cross-beats that span two measures, a type of large-scale hemiola. The cross-rhythm is three beats over eight beats (3:8), or within a single four-beat cycle, the ratio is 1.5:4. The three cross-beats are shown as whole notes in the pattern for clarity.
Other References
- Robert Ayitee and Kwashi Amevuvor are Ewe drummers from Ghana, a country in West Africa.
- Ladzekpo, CK. Foundation Course in African-Dance Drumming. Drums and Drumming, 1995. (Archived website: https://web.archive.org/web/20090415164952/http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/people/ladzekpo/Foundation.html)
- Kinka: Traditional songs from Avenorpedo.