Djembes, Gankogui, and Shekeres: West African Music Comes to Mustard Seed!

This fall, students in grades 6-8 are studying West African music. This particular study has been made possible by a grant from Fund for Teachers.

In Ghana, heading to a festival with my teachers Frank and Rita.

As a Fund for Teachers Fellow this summer, I traveled to the village of Nungua in Ghana to study African drumming and dance with the famous Kusun Ensemble. I returned from Ghana with new instruments, skills, and music to bring to Mustard Seed Students.

At present, students are learning to play Kpanlogo, a famous rhythm from Ghana. To play the Kpanlogo rhythm, students have been learning to play the gankogui (double bell), shekere (gourd shaker), cowbell, djembe drum, and bass drum. There has been much to learn!  One of the more challenging instruments has been the djembe.

Playing a djembe from Ghana!

In the photo above, a student demonstrates playing a slap tone near the rim of the drum. Students have also learned to play tones, bass tones, and flams.

The multi-layered rhythms (known as polyrhythms) from West Africa are all held together by the bell patterns. Below, students are working on clapping two different bell patterns before playing them on the bells.

Practicing bell patterns

As students play together, they are working to keep a steady beat and listen deeply to the ensemble. They must concentrate as we layer in six different rhythm patterns with five different instruments. This takes a lot of skill and coordination. As the semester continues, we will begin to add chants, songs, and the dance that go with Kpanlogo. The video below is the Kpanlogo dance and rhythm played by master drummer Nii Tettey Tetteh and members of the Kusun Ensemble.

Want to learn more about the culture and music of Ghana? Read my blog for students from this summer.