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African Drumming

ple, and performances are held for entire villages. The final idea about music in the music culture model is the history of the music. Drumming is one of the most historically important facets of Ewe culture. In the past, drumming has given the Ewe people freedom by way of intimidating their captors, as well as victories in the battlefield, and the blessings of ancestors. Music is preserved by the musicians, who teach the younger generation through informal instruction. Musicians inherit musical gifts from their ancestors, and music is not an occupation; it is ones destiny. The second component of the music culture model is activities involving music in the society. Some songs, like Agbekor, were used as war drumming until the time that intertribal fighting died down. After that, Agbekor was used mainly as a funeral song. During the performance of Agbekor, singers and dancers, as well as onlookers surround a group of drummers. The third part of the music culture model is repertoires of music, which is subdivided into six elements. The first is style. The style of Ewe drumming is a basic bell rhythm, through which polyrhythmic drumming weaves in and out. The second element of the repertoires is the genre of the song. Agbekor is a typical war drumming song, and most songs performed by the Ewe follow this genre. The drumming is connected with words, which are not always sung, and are known only to the drummers. The texts celebrate victories and praise warriors and ancestors. Call and response is very integral to the Ewe sound. The fourth component of the repertoires of Ewe music is composition. Agbekor was, as legend has it, a song that hunters learned from monkeys in the forest that was passed down for many generations. Although the Ewe have no written notation for their music, songs are transmitted through observation and imitation, and much training is needed to become a master drummer. The last aspect of repe...

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