Sort of. Slave owners worked hard to destroy every bit of African culture that they considered a hindrance to holding humans as animals. Sometimes their efforts merely drove the subject matter underground, such as is the case with African religions that continued to permeate slave culture in ways that the white owners did not recognize.
But the drum cannot be driven underground. It cannot be hidden. Whites feared the drums out of fear both that they could be used to communicate with slaves on the next plantation and with spirits from another world.
The drum lost its place in the Americanized music of Africa by the end of the Colonial era, leaving behind the bania (banjo) as Africa's principal contribution to American music.
Though I am not a percussionist, I have fallen in love with the Irish bodhrun and one of my little riders is working to include a well played bodhrun into our music.
Someone, (I really do not know who) put a set of large hand drums in the Little House. I am going to see if the kids can incorporate those sounds into our music.
Traditionalists of old time music will howl at the sight. Ironic indeed to be more traditional than the traditionalists.
(Lydia and Owl Prophet reemerging from the James River in the picture above).
Much as the proscription act of 1 August 1746 in which the British crown forbade highland dress, arms and pipes...when a people is to be enslaved, cheap insurance is to crush the prevalent culture...but it never works that way. smart fellow once said something to the effect of, "You can enslave my body, but never my mind or spirit."
ReplyDeleteDon't worry too much about those who will howl at non traditional instruments in traditional music, those who refuse to evolve will soon be left behind. An irony along those lines is the inspriation that Elvis and his peers found in Mother Maybelle's music...evolution of sound.
With respect to Highland dress, there are those who howl about my (and many others) "non traditional"
kilts...never mind that many of the early great kilts were not tartan...They really freak out at my USMC digital camoflage kilt.
Nothing wrong with tradition, until one becomes hidebound about it.