Wednesday, February 13, 2002
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Wednesday, February 13, 2002 |
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Students learn drums can talk during special performance When students at Hood Avenue Primary School were told they were going to see a talking and singing drum, many of them looked at each other in disbelief, that is until the drums began to sing some of their favorite tunes. Adebisi Adeleke, a native of Nigeria, introduced students to the talking drum during a musical performance at the school in conjunction with Black History Month. He explained the roles of the drum in Africa, demonstrated how the talking drum is used as a means of communication and how it can sing a song in any language of the world. Students could not believe their ears when the drums sang "Mary had a Little Lamb" and "This Old Man." "Regular drums just play rhythms; the talking drum is the only drum used to communicate in Africa," explained Adeleke. Adeleke has been making and playing talking drums for over 30 years. Born into a patrilineage of professional Praise Talking Drummers, he learned the art from his father, making Adeleke the fourth generation in his family to master it. Drummers make the talking drums imitate words and sounds simply by the way they place their hands on the instrument. In Africa, talking drums are traditionally used for special ceremonies such as weddings and house warmings as well as during festival time. "I make all of my drums myself. It takes special training to be able to make and play them and it is not something that you learn over night. It takes a long time," said Adeleke. Adeleke travels to schools throughout the year to demonstrate the talking drum and educate students about African culture. One of the main points he makes about Africa is that it is a country built on respect for others. As he talks to students he explains the importance of respecting one's parents and teachers in African culture. "When you go to Africa you can see children helping their parents. Everyone in a village pitches in to help raise a child. We have no such thing as babysitters; neighbors gladly watch each others' children without expecting anything in return," said Adeleke. Adeleke gave two performances at the school, one for kindergarten-second grade and the other for prekindergarten.
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