Nigerian Drum

Carved wooden male figure kneels on short disk and supports a cylindrical hollow drum on his head and hands. Large eyes, a wide nose and closed mouth are carved on the face. The figure wears a simple loincloth. The drum is carved with parallel lines around the bottom and near the top, with diagonal lines connecting them. A hide cover is attached over the open top. Music has an important and broad reaching role in African culture. It is played for serious events like masquerades, performances and ceremonies, when people need to talk to the gods and ancestors and ask for help and blessings music is also played for entertainment. The artists who make them use materials of many shapes, colors, and proportions to create pieces of sculpture. How the instrument looks can send messages in much the same way as the sound it makes. The form and decoration of the instrument help communicate these messages. Drums are rhythmically sounding instruments consisting of a hollowed out end and a tightly woven surface tied to the hollow end with leat... African Folk Tales African Novel Study Celebrations and Festivals 16 History 18 Social Systems 25-27 Fine Arts