Rhythmic design in the support drums of Agbadza
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v6i3.1165Abstract
The Ewe percussion music of Ghana is one of the African musics best understood in structural terms at this time, due to the efforts of a number of researchers. The aim of this paper is to further this accumulation of stylistic information by a detailed analysis of support drum characteristics in the Ewe music Agbadza. Enough data are analysed to make suppositions about general guiding principles which appear to operate in this music. The source of these patterns is primarily my personal study with Ewe master drummer C.K. Ladzekpo, who lives in Berkeley, California. All the patterns were transcribed from performances or demonstrations by African music ensembles led by Mr Ladzekpo.References
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Rahn, Jay. “Evaluating metrical interpretations”, Perspectives of New Music, 15, 35-49, (Spring-Summer) 1978
Jones, A.M. Studies in African music, London; Oxford University Press, 1959.
Koetting, James. “Analysis and notation of selected West African drum ensemble music”, in Selected Reports. (UCLA Institute of Ethnomusicology), 1 (3), 116-146, 1970.
Ladzekpo, K. “The social mechanics of good music”, African Music, 5 (1), 6-13, 1971.
Ladzekpo, S.K. and Pantaleoni, Hewitt “Takada drumming”, African Music, 4 (4), 6-31, 1970.
Locke, David. The music of Atsiabeko, PhD thesis, Wesleyan University, 1979.
Locke, D. and Agbeli, G. “A study of drum language in Adzogbo”, African Music, 6(1), 1981.
Nketia, J.H. Kwabena. African music in Ghana, Evanston, Northwestern University Press, 1963.
The music of Africa, London, Victor Gollancz, 1975.
Pantaleoni, Hewitt “Toward understanding the play of sogo in Atsia”, Ethnomusicology, 16, 1-27, 1972a
-“Towards understanding the play of atsimevu in Atsia”, African Music, 5 (2), 64- 84, 1972b.
-“Three principles of timing in Anlo dance drumming”, African Music, 5 (2), 50- 63, 1972c.
-The rhythm of Atsia dance drumming among the Anlo (Ewe) of Anyako, PhD thesis, Wesleyan University, 1972d.
Pressing, Jeff. Cognitive isomorphisms in world musics (in press).
Rahn, Jay. “Evaluating metrical interpretations”, Perspectives of New Music, 15, 35-49, (Spring-Summer) 1978
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Published
1983-07-12
How to Cite
Pressing, Jeff. 1983. “Rhythmic Design in the Support Drums of Agbadza”. African Music : Journal of the International Library of African Music 6 (3):4-15. https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v6i3.1165.
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