bugarabou and bass djembe

[ubba]

Michi, I loved those new warm up exercises in your post! Anyhow, I was wondering if anybody has played both bugarabou and bass djembe and can tell me how different they are, I wanted something to add to the mix with my djembe playing? Also is either close to the sound of kpanlogo which I have toyed with a bit, somebody from Ghana showed it to me and as always I loved experimenting with a new drum...just a small drum addiction have I. Listening to the bugarabou online and having the experience of somebody that has actually played these instruments is always more welcome and to date I have not played a bass djembe or bugaru.

Cheers

[michi]

Bass djembe, boougarabou, and kpanlogo all sound quite different.

With a bass djembe, you get longer sustain and more ringing than with a normal djembe due to the lower tension. Here is a nice sound clip of of one of Jereme Chevrier's Jina djembes tuned as a bass djembe.

To hear bougarabou drumming, check out the sound samples for "Bougarabou: Solo Drumming of Casmance".

For the kpanlogo, check out this excerpt from Wala's self-titled CD.

Kpanlogo.mp3

Excerpt from the CD "Wala", track 1 "Shibalele"

(2.34 MiB) Downloaded 65 times

Wala CD cover

Wala.jpg (85.6 KiB) Viewed 319 times

The rhythm in the clip is Kpanlogo. Isaac "Tuza" Afutu is the lead drummer.

As a side note, the traditional name for the kpanlogo is treshi. Kpanlogo is the name of a rhythm played on the treshi. The rhythm was composed about 50 years ago and became enormously popular. (You might call it Ghana's signature rhythm--when you are there, there is no escaping from it.) Because of the popularity of the rhythm, the treshi became know as the kpanlogo drum.

The technique for all three drums is different. Bass djembe and bougarabou are quite close, but the treshi uses very different technique from a djembe. For one, tones are played not with all of your fingers as on a djembe, but further out, using the first two-and-a-bit knuckles. And the treshi uses a "grab-slap" a lot, which serves as a filler note in between the main notes.

Cheers,

Michi.

[e2c]

michi - special thanks for the info. on treshi! (and the clips, too.)

[michi]

michi - special thanks for the info. on treshi! (and the clips, too.)

You are welcome! BTW, "treshi" literally means "tilt". It's called a tilt drum because, like a djembe, it has an open bottom and you have to tilt it away from the ground when playing it to avoid choking the bass.

There is also a very similar looking Ewe drum called "Sogo". But the Ewe version has a solid closed bottom and, instead, a hole near the bottom about 3/4" in size to allow the air to escape.

Ewe sogo drum

sogo_001.jpg (23.19 KiB) Viewed 311 times

Cheers,

Michi.

[e2c]

Gosh, re. Sogo, I'd always assumed that it had an open bottom.

As Mr. Spock would say, "Fascinating."

[michi]

Gosh, re. Sogo, I'd always assumed that it had an open bottom.

Hmmm... Maybe I got the name confused. I saw quite a few Ewe drums in Ghana. They look like the one in the photo; the bottom is closed (flat wooden base plate), and there is a hole about 3/4" in size on the side, about 3-4" from the base.

So, that drum definitely exists and, according to Tuza, is an Ewe drum. I may have confused the name though. Anyone know for sure?

Cheers,

Michi.

[e2c]

I'm all ears (or should that be "all eyes")?

I know basically nothing about the instruments in the various Ghanian drum ensembles and would very much like to learn more.

btw, I really like the way the clip you provided is recorded and mastered and definitely want to get hold of the music, either on disc or as a legal download. You wouldn't happen to have a link or suggestion re. this, would you? (Thanks in advance!)

[michi]

The first Wala CD is their best, IMO. There are three all up. The first two including Tuza, the third one was recorded after Tuza left the group. (Tuza won the pan-african drumming contest twice, so he's pretty good ) All three CDs are worth buying though, IMO.

Wala CDs:

• Wala (no year recorded on the CD--I bought mine in 2004)
• Feemor (no year recorded on the CD--I bought mine in 2005, from memory)
• Anukwale (2006)

You can find more info on Wala's web site, including an order form. You can contact them at bookings@walaislife.com.

Tuza has since recorded a CD of his own, called "Maja". That one is also extremely nice, with lots of melody and singing. (Non-drummers can listen to that CD...) You can get that one from the Teambeat website.

Cheers,

Michi.

[ubba]

Thanks michi, I thought I was playing a kpanlogo, I think my Ghanian friend mentioned another name but it is good to know it is treshi. I will have to get my hands on a bass djembe and bugarabou so I can feel it for myself. You are a well spring of information and I love coming on this site to find new things.

[e2c]

michi - thanks muchly for the links and info.!

I have a feeling that the closest Ghanian-style players are probably in New York - 5+ hours from me, depending on weather and traffic. It's hard to find good information about the different kinds of ensembles and individual instruments, let alone recordings. (I have a fair amount of Ghana-style highlife music on hand, but that's another thing entirely.)

*
ubba: there are some other threads here that touch on bass djembe; if you use the "search" function, you'll find them.

Normally (as far as i know) bass djembes are headed with cowskin and the heads are attached in a different way to most other djembes - they're sewn on, as with dunduns. The bass djembes I've got (and the others that I've played) have nice, taut heads; the feeling and sound are closer to what you get with a sangban (the "middle" drum in a set of 3 dunduns), though.