Ewe drumming is the music made by groups of Ewe people from Ghana, Togo, and Benin. The Ewe people are famous for their drumming skills in West Africa. The complex cross rhythms and polyrhythms in Ewe drumming are similar to those in Afro-Caribbean music and late jazz. The original purpose of Ewe drumming was used by warriors to sing or perform. Now, the songs are performed for celebrations or fun. For example, Agbadza was a dance for warriors, but now it is used to celebrate events.

Variation

Ewe drumming has many different styles and is played in various ways. For example, an Ewe musician from Togo might play a song or instrument a little 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, so they do not use the same upright drums as other Ewe people. Instead, they put large gourds on water to use as drums.

Instrumental performance

An Ewe drumming group includes several drums, a bell, and a rattle. Each group usually has a master drum, an iron bell named a gankogui, and a group of secondary drummers.

Bell instruments

The gankogui, also called the gakpevi, is a bell or gong instrument played with a wooden stick. It is made from forged iron and has two bells permanently attached: a low-pitched bell (called the parent bell) and a high-pitched bell (called the child bell, which sits 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 gankogui player must be trustworthy, and if they do not fully understand the instrument and its role in the drumming group, they are considered blind. In a drumming group, the gankogui player does not use any changes in rhythm or sound.

— David Locke, (2010: web)

The atoke is a forged-iron bell 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 side of the bell to create a sound. The atoke has the same role as the gankogui and is sometimes used instead of the gankogui. 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 hollow gourd covered with a net of seeds or beads. It is usually played while sitting and held by the handle in the player’s strong hand. The instrument is shaken up and down, hitting the hand and thigh to create two different sounds. The axatse often 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 has also been described as enriching or reinforcing the sound of the gankogui. Overall, it adds energy to the music and helps drive the rhythm. The axatse produces a dry, rattling sound that is lively and full of movement.

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 striking it with the free hand, which happens between the bell sounds. Like many African rhythms, the axatse part starts (first "pa") on the second sound of the bell (1a), and the last "pa" happens when the cycle begins again (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, called the 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 ensembles, the master drummer plays the main melody and adds creative variations. In Ewe drumming, the master drummer has a rhythmic conversation with the kidi drum. The master drummer fills in spaces in the kidi's rhythm to complete the musical phrase. The master drummer can also add creative changes to the music.

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 the sogo. The sogo can always replace the master drum and is the correct master drum for certain songs. It is larger and taller than the kidi drum. The sogo 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 a supporting role like the kidi drum. It produces a deep sound and is played while sitting or standing.

Another master drum is the atsimevu. 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 creates 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 song called agahu. The agboba is the deepest-sounding drum used by the Ewe. It has a wide body and is played while leaning over a stand, similar to the atsimevu.

The kroboto and totodzi are two other master drums that are very similar, 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 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 them.

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 is sometimes decorated with detailed carvings. It usually plays an eighth note pattern, but sometimes changes the pattern, such as playing a roll instead of the first note. The kidi is described by the Ewe people as talking or conversing with the lead drum. This is called drum dialogue. The kidi often adds small changes to the rhythm at the right times.

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, its drumhead is made from antelope or deer skin. The drum’s 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 does not change during a piece. For example, in Agahu, the kaganu plays two notes on the upbeats. Since Agahu is played in 4/4 time, the kaganu plays two notes on the offbeats of beats 1, 2, 3, and 4. The kaganu also adds energy and movement to the music.

Tonal drumming

Many West African drums, such as the master drum and the kidi, can mimic the sounds of spoken language. Many African languages use different tones to change the meaning of words. By changing the pitch of the sounds they make, drummers can copy the tones used in these languages. Some drums can also copy consonant sounds by hitting them with sticks or hands at different angles or 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 across Ghana as talking drums. Atumpan players stand while using two sticks shaped like the letter L to strike the drums.

Cross-rhythmic structure

The music expert David Locke explains that cross-rhythm is common in Ewe drumming. In fact, the main rhythm in Ewe music 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 and David Locke explained cross-rhythm in more detail.

The most basic cross-rhythm in Ewe music and many sub-Saharan African traditions is called three-against-two (3:2) or six-against-four (6:4). This is also known as a vertical hemiola. The rhythm with two or four beats is the main beat pattern, while the rhythm with three beats is the secondary beat pattern. Ladzekpo explains that the term "secondary beat scheme" refers to a part of a cross-rhythm that is not the main beat pattern. Like the main beat, each secondary beat is measured by a different number of pulsations. When these beats repeat in a musical section, they form a distinct secondary beat pattern.

Novotney notes that the 3:2 relationship (and its variations) is the base of most complex rhythms in West African music. The 3:2 ratio is the main idea behind the rhythmic rules in sub-Saharan music. Agawu explains that the 3:2 rhythm is key to understanding these rhythms because the numbers 2 and 3 are connected as a single group.

A bell pattern used in the Ewe rhythm called kadodo has a 24-pulse structure. This pattern crosses the beat lines, making the rhythm more complex by using three groups of five beats over eight main beats (two measures of four main beats each). The three single beats in the pattern are played softly.

The kadodo bell pattern is a variation of three slow cross-beats that span two measures. This is a type of large-scale hemiola. The cross-rhythm is three-over-eight (3:8). Within a single four-beat cycle (one measure), the ratio is 1.5:4. The three cross-beats are shown as whole notes in the pattern for visual emphasis.

Other References

• Robert Ayitee and Kwashi Amevuvor are master drummers from Ghana, a country in West Africa.
• CK Ladzekpo wrote Foundation Course in African-Dance Drumming, which was published in the journal Drums and Drumming in 1995.
• Kinka refers to traditional songs from Avenorpedo.