Volume 12 Issue 11 Version 1.0 Year 2012 Type: Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal Publisher: Global Journals Inc. (USA) Online ISSN: & Print ISSN: Abstract - The talking drums of the Yoruba people of the South West of Nigeria are like many other types of drums found in other parts of the world in that they are melody producing/enhancing musical instruments accompanying song and dance performances made of hollow round frame with tightly fixed plastic or skin membrane on the surface(s) beaten with the hand(s), stick(s) or other materials. However, the Yoruba talking drums of the South West people of Nigeria are unlike the many other types of drums found in other parts of the world in that they are not just mere melody producing/enhancing musical instruments. This is basically because they can be used to disseminate vital messages and to respond to disseminated information. This paper introduces the term drummunication to explain the use of Yoruba talking drums to send and receive messages or information. The paper attempts a taxonomy of the Yoruba drums to establish the real talking drums. It explicates the functions of effective drummunication and barriers to effective drummunication. Most importantly, it suggests steps that can be taken to enhance the effectiveness of drummunication. Keywords : Drummunication, Communication, Talking Drums, Trado-Indigenous Art, Yorubaland. GJHSS - A Classification : FOR Code : 160503, 160502 Drummunication The Trado-Indigenous Art of Communicating with Talking Drums in Yorubaland Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of: © 2012. Samson Olasunkanmi Oluga & Halira Abeni Litini Babalola. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Drummunication: The Trado-Indigenous Art of Communicating with Talking Drums in Yorubaland Samson Olasunkanmi Oluga α & Halira Abeni Litini Babalola σ 12 Abstract - The talking drums of the Yoruba people of the South like “televangelism”, “docudrama”, “infomercial” etc, 0 West of Nigeria are like many other types of drums found in which are relatively new words that have become part of 2 other parts of the world in that they are melody English lexicon or vocabulary via the same producing/enhancing musical instruments accompanying ear morphological blending. However, the semantic Y song and dance performances made of hollow round frame interpretation of this new term or concept with tightly fixed plastic or skin membrane on the surface(s) 39 beaten with the hand(s), stick(s) or other materials. However, drummunication will be based on the meaning of each the Yoruba talking drums of the South West people of Nigeria of the two component words i.e. “drum” and are unlike the many other types of drums found in other parts “communication” which represent the linguistic source of the world in that they are not just mere melody of the term or concept. producing/enhancing musical instruments. This is basically The word “drum” according to the Oxford because they can be used to disseminate vital messages and Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English refers to respond to disseminated information. This paper introduces to a musical instrument made of a hollow round frame the term drummunication to explain the use of Yoruba talking with plastic or skin stretched tightly across one end or drums to send and receive messages or information. The both ends, which is played by hitting it with stick(s) paper attempts a taxonomy of the Yoruba drums to establish the real talking drums. It explicates the functions of effective called drumstick(s) or simply with the hands. The New drummunication and barriers to effective drummunication. Lexicon Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of English Most importantly, it suggests steps that can be taken to Language similarly describes a drum as any of the enhance the effectiveness of drummunication. various types of percussive musical instruments Volume XII Issue XI Version I Keywords: Drummunication, Communication, Talking consisting of a hollow cylinder or hemisphere of wood, ) DD A Drums, Trado-Indigenous Art, Yorubaland. metal etc usually with a skin stretched tightly over the DD end or ends struck to produce a sound. Akpabio (2003) ( ce points out that drums made of skin are common all over n e he term drummunication as can be seen is newly the continent of Africa where they are used as musical ci instruments accompanying song and dance coined or derived from two existing words namely al S performances but also confirms that some are capable ci “drum” and “communication”. It is therefore a o T S product of linguistic fabrication. Specifically, the word of “talking”. Various types of drums with various types of has been manufactured through a morphological names can be identified in Africa in general and Nigeria process called blending. Morphology is a branch or an in particular (Carrington 1949 and Raffray, 1992). We uman aspect of linguistics (the science or study of language or have pot drums which have the shapes of pots beaten f H languages) that has to do with the formation or with foam-like objects peculiar to those in the Eastern part of Nigeria which Doob (1996:100) describes as al o derivation of words from words. Denham & Lobeck n r (2010: 517) defines it as “the study of the system of “drums like water pots made of baked clay”. We have u rules underlying our knowledge of the structure of other drums of various shapes and sizes like the o dundun and bata of South West Yoruba people of al J words”. To Gianico & Altarriba (2008:77) it is “the b system of word –forming elements and processes in Nigeria. We have the jebi, kalangu and kanzangi of the lo language”. Blending simply has to do with mixing, Hausas in the Northern part of Nigeria. We also have the G merging or mingling two words harmoniously to realise eka ibit and etok ibit of the South-South people of another word hence, the New Lexicon Encyclopedic Nigeria to mention just a few. Dictionary of English Language simply describes it as The word communication has attracted myriad telescoping of two words into one. The derivation of the of definitions and/or interpretations, which is evident in new term is therefore in accordance with that of words the one hundred and twenty six (126) published definitions of communication listed by Dance and Author α : Phd student, faculty of arts and social science universiti Larson (1976). It is against this background that Little tunku abdul rahman (utar), kampar perak campus, Malaysia. (1983) has described Communication as a chameleon E-mail : [email protected] Author σ : Phd chief lecturer/deputy rector the federal polytechnicede of a word that changes the colour of its meaning with a p.m.b. 231 ede osun state , Nigeria. change of speaker or listener. He however, defines © 2012 Global Journals Inc. (US) Drummunication: The Trado-Indigenous Art of Communicating with Talking Drums in Yorubaland communication as the process by which information is hourglass-like frame with two ends covered with passed between individuals and/or organisations by membranes of kid‟s skin which are also carefully joined means of previously agreed symbols. Communication by some strings made of goat skin. It is usually beaten according to Wood (2009) is the systemic process that with a curved stick called drum stick. The dundun facilitates human/people‟s interaction with the aid of drums according to Omo (1978) para-phrasing the idea interpretable and meaningful symbols. Devito (2012) of Laoye (1954 and 1959) can possibly imitate the tones identifies some basic communication elements in his and gibes in the Yoruba speech hence, apart from being definition. He defines communication as a situation able to produce music for dancing can be used to where one person (or more) sends and receives communicate insults, praises, admonition and even messages (or information) that can be distorted by proverbs. Ngozi (2001) also states that the dundun in 12 noise (physical, linguistic, or psychological) which addition to its ability to produce music for dancing can 0 2 occurs within a context (physical, socio-psychological, also announce the arrival and departure of eminent r temporal or cultural) with some possible effect and personalities at a social gathering, can be used to recite ea Y opportunity for feedback. In a similar vein Oluga, peoples‟ praise names, can be used to rain abuses Adewusi and Babalola (2001) point out that effective when the need arises to the extent that it can be said 40202 communication is that which does not fail neither to that the dundun drums among all others enjoy some pass meaningful information nor to attract a desired “freedom of drummunication”. Daramola and Jeje response. (1995) state that the dundun drumset consists of six The term drummunication going by the slightly different types of beautiful looking talking drums semantic interpretations of its constituent parts will then which are discussed below: refer to the process which involves the use of drums or drumbeats to disseminate properly conceived ideas, appropriately coded or articulated via meaningful and This is mother dundun drum and the first comprehensible drumbeats that can be decoded or among the dundun talking drumset. The lya-ilu dundun understood or interpreted by the target listeners or is also the longest in size compared to all other intended audience who respond to the message of the members of this family. It is usually beaten with the drumbeat with the aid of appropriate, desired or curved stick, in one hand while the second hand is used expected feedback.