Yorùbá Talking Drums Painting

In ancient and modern times, the people of South West Africa, the Yoruba's, use the rythymic beats of the talking drums to relay information, to praise, to honour and to entertain. There are various types of talking drums which vary in intonation, shape and size. The hourglass-shaped drum plays not only rhythms, but also melodies. Dùndún and bàtá drummers imitate the melody of human speech on their instrument. In this way, they recite praise poetry and prayers or make comments on the proceedings of a festive event or in praise of a diety. Dùndún drummers can imitate human speech more easily on their instrument than bàtá drummers. The two heads of the drum are connected through leather strips. If the drummer manipulates the leather strips while beating on the head with a flared stick, they can change the pitch of the drum and even create glissandi, which also occur in spoken Yorùbá. The drums inspired my painting. Oil on canvas. 26 x 32 inches. I will ship the painting rolled in a tube.