In this workshop, attendants will be able to participate in or witness the basics of talking (with) drums. No prior knowledge of the tradition is necessary and everyone is welcome to have a try. Both linguistically and musically communicative, 'talking drums' are ubiquitous in West Africa. Amongst the Yoruba people of South-west Nigeria, the dùndún and bàtá are the foremost talking drums. Their physiology affords exceptional tone inflection, which is a significant attribute of the Yoruba tonal language. This workshop covers the traditional style of Yoruba talking drum language and how the Yoruba indigenes interpret the drum’s language-based music.  We will also demonstrate how the organology of various talking drums influences their phonological and language-surrogate systems.

You don’t need to apply for this workshop. Musicology BA students can gain a ‘strip’ by participating.

About Olupemi Oludare:

Olupemi Oludare (Ph.D.) specializes in the areas of theory and analysis and African musicology, with research interests in rhythm, language, movement, and cognition. His research interrogates and contributes to the role of music in human and social development. He has published in reputable international journals, book volumes, and encyclopaedia. Oludare is a Catalyst fellow of the University of Edinburgh, an associate member of the African studies centre, Leiden, and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Utrecht University, working in the project “when language has a beat” (NWO 360-89-060), with a focus on African drum language.