First, one must identify the appropriate species of tree, with the proper size trunk. Then with your cutlasses and, perhaps if you're lucky, an ax or two, you must chop it down and cut a large chunk of trunk. Then you and about 8 of your little brothers (and maybe sisters) have to roll it a couple of miles through the bush back to the house.
Once at the house, the long process of carving begins. Everyone is invited to come, take the pole with the metal chisel wedged at the end of it, and take the middle of it out piece, by achingly small piece. Have a competition with your neighbors to see who can do it the longest.
If your muscles get tired, you can lay it on the ground and exhaust a different set of muscles.
When the hollowing out is complete, run and get the specialist carver. He has a chisel on a smaller pole and can round out the rough-shod trunk and make it look like a cylinder.
By tap-tap-tapping around the edge, he softens the corners, smooths out the wood, and begins to give the wood a drum-like shape.
When the carving is finished, rub dirty oil into the wood to protect and stain it. It also gives the instrument a nice, antique, and well-loved feel. Now the final touches are just around the corner! Run to nearest beef butcher, or wait until the cow sacrifice at a relative's funeral, and get the perfect cowhide to cover the ends. Oil and stretch the rope as tight as you can, and you will have your own, extremely heavy, African drum.
Plant a forked pole from which your drum can hang and beat on it to your heart's content. Guaranteed to draw your neighbors and relatives for all the Kinachung-ing and traditional dancing you can stand!
Very cool! Your descriptions are always very enlightening.
ReplyDeleteWow - how long does that whole process take?
ReplyDeleteIf they did it all at once probably a 3 or 4 days. But Ghanaians never do everything all at once, so this one was in the making for several months.
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