A Drummer's Testament

A DRUMMER'S TESTAMENT:  Dagbamba Society and Culture in the Twentieth Century

Expanded Table of Contents

• Front Matter and Introduction
• Volume I:    The Work of Drumming
• Volume II:   Old Talks
• Volume III:  In Our Living
• Supplementary Materials

FRONT MATTER

• Research Associates and Consultants
• Co-Authors
• Summary Table of Contents
• Expanded Table of Contents with Chapter Summaries
• Guide to Pronunciation and Orthography
• Acknowledgments

JOHN CHERNOFF'S INTRODUCTION  topics covered

Capsule geography and demography; descriptions of Tamale and Accra; descriptions of urban and rural landscapes; the situation of traditional societies in modern Ghana

Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulai and the genesis of the work; indigenous views of cultural relevance; assessment of the role of ethnography in contemporary anthropology; why the work was done in this manner; web publication and indigenous access

The nature of the collaboration; portraits of significant personnel; issues of method and substance; description of interviewing techniques and translation methods

Advice on reading the text:  the context and pacing of evening discussions in a village; style and idioms; the size of the text; relationship of drumming to the presentation of information

Volume I:  THE WORK OF DRUMMING

PART 1:  ALHAJI IBRAHIM'S INTRODUCTION TO THE DAGBAMBA WAY OF LIVING

• Chapter 1:  The Benefits of Friendship and Why We Should Do the Work as a Group
• A story to stand for the work; Dagbamba folk stories and proverbs on friendship and knowledge; the importance of good character

• Chapter 2:  The Dagbamba Way of Living in the Villages and in the Towns
• The attitude of modern children toward their tradition; how traditional values are taught in the villages; the character of villagers compared to town people

• Chapter 3:  The Sense of Dagbamba and Their Living in the Olden Days
• The importance of knowing how one's parents and grandparents lived; recollections of pre-colonial and colonial life; types of work and the sense of Dagbamba

• Chapter 4:  Respect and the Dagbamba Way of Living Together
• Respect and how Dagbamba show respect on the part of:  those who live in the same area, their families, their in-laws; examples:  patience, temperance, not “showing oneself,” gathering and eating with others, respect for strangers

• Chapter 5:  The Way of a Stranger and How a Stranger Should Live in Dagbon
• How Dagbamba behave toward strangerrs; being a stranger and traveling; the benefits of traveling; bad things that can happen to strangers; how a stranger should behave with the people

• Chapter 6:  Greetings and Respect in Dagbon
• Greetings and festivals; the importance of greetings; how Dagbamba greet; greetings and respect; greetings to different types of people:  chiefs, rich people, maalams; gifts and gift-giving; messengers and greeting; greetings in the household; greetings to in-laws; greetings during the festival months; how Dagbamba greet their friends in different villages; how Dagbamba receive one another in greetings

• Chapter 7:  How Dagbamba Send Messengers
• How Dagbamba send messengers to greet others; types of people who are messengers; how a messenger uses sense

• Chapter 8:  The Debt of the Stomach
• Problems of working together as a team; practical problems of poverty and their relationship to commitment to long-term collaborative projects; issues of sharing potential benefits and maintaining continuity of the team

• Chapter 9:  Patience, Truth, and How We Should Do the Talks
• The nature of long talks; different types of lies; how to listen to the talks; patience and asking questions; instructions to John about “repairing” the talks

PART 2:  DRUMMERS AND DRUMMING IN DAGBON

• Chapter 10:  The Work of Drumming
• Alhaji Ibrahim's family background and where he learned drumming; his respect as a drummer; an example of Baakobli and market-drumming:  how Alhaji suffered and how he learned patience; the need to learn work well; learning both guŋgɔŋ and luŋa; the difference between those who have traveled to the South and those who only know Dagbon

• Chapter 11:  The Respect of Drumming and How Drumming Started in Dagbon
• Drummers and chiefs; why chiefs need drummers; the family relationship of chiefs and commoners; the origin of drumming:  Bizuŋ as the son of Naa Nyaɣsi; origins of Namo-Naa; original drumming of the land-priests in Dagbon:  Ʒɛm and Bandamda; the eldership of the guŋgɔŋ and yua over the luŋa; the seniority of the luŋa; the respect of drummers and chiefs

• Chapter 12:  Drummers and the Other Musicians of Dagbon
• The strength of drummers with chiefs; Punyiɣsili:  waking the chief; names people call drummers; drummers as women; begging the chief; if Namo-Naa and Yaa-Naa quarrel; the seniority of drummers to other musicians:  the origins of Akarima and the timpana; dalgu; names in Dagbon; the origins of fiddles (goonji), solo string instruments (mɔɣlo and jɛnjili)

• Chapter 13:  How We Make Our Drums and Guŋgɔŋs
• Craft aspects of drumming; how drums are carved; ritual obligations of drum-makers; how drums are sewn; types of skins used; varying quality of drums and skins; how drum-sticks are made; how guŋgɔŋs are made and sewn

• Chapter 14:  How a Drum Is Beaten
• Technique and style; innovation and tradition; the right wrist and quickness; the right hand and the left hand in beating; talking on a drum and using the left hand; beating coolly and beating with strength; changing styles and steadiness; examples

PART 3:  MUSIC AND DANCING IN COMMUNITY EVENTS

• Chapter 15:  Proverbs, Praise-names and Dances
• Why Dagbamba like proverbs; what proverbs add to living; how to understand proverbs; how people use proverbs as names; proverbial names and “praising”; introduction to the family; how drummers beat praise-names on their drums; where and how drummers use praise-names; the role of praising at community gathering; introduction to praise-names and dance beats

• Chapter 16:  Praise-Name Dances and the Benefits of Music
• The origins of dances in chieftaincy and the drum history; examples of dances based on praise-names of former chiefs; overview:  how music helps in weddings, funerals, namings, festivals; happiness and music; happiness and dancing; music as something to give to the children

• Chapter 17:  How a Person Should Dance
• The relationship of dancing and drumming; differences in styles of dancing; differences between men's and women's dancing; how people learn dancing; aesthetics of good dancing

• Chapter 18:  Dances That are Danced in Groups
• Baamaaya; Jɛra; Yori; Bila; Nyindɔɣu and Dimbu; dances of the craft-guilds and other tribes; group dances compared to individual dances

• Chapter 19:  Takai and Tɔra
• The Takai and Tɔra dances; their importance in community events

• Chapter 20:  Funerals
• Funerals as an example of the role of music in community events; the elder of the funeral house; how a dead body is bathed and buried; the stages of a funeral:  three days, seven days, shaving the funeral children, “showing the riches,” sharing property; why Dagbamba like funerals; the importance of funerals; music and funerals

• Chapter 21:  Muslims' Funerals and Chiefs' Funerals
• How Muslims are buried; stages of a Muslim funeral; how chiefs die; how chiefs are buried; the installation of the Regent; chiefs funerals and the work of drummers; example:  Savelugu; the Gbɔŋlana and the Pakpɔŋ; seating the Gbɔŋlana; the Kambonsi; Mba Naa and showing the riches; selection of a new chief

PART 4:  LEARNING AND MATURITY

• Chapter 22:  How Children are Trained in Drumming and Singing
• Types of toy drums for children; first proverbs; how a child is taught to sing; discipline; children who are “born” with the drum; a child who was trained by dwarves; learning the chiefs; learning to sing; performing; how young drummers respect their teachers; obligations to teachers; teaching and learning

• Chapter 23:  Traveling and Learning the Dances of Other Tribes
• Why Dagbamba learn other tribes' drumming; the difficulty of learning the Dagbani language; the drumming styles and dancing of:  Mossis, Kotokolis and Hausas (Jɛbo, Gaabitɛ Zamanduniya, Mazadaji, Adamboli), Bassaris and Chembas and Chilinsis, Dandawas, Wangaras, Gurumas, Konkombas, Frafras, Ashantis, Yorubas; differences in the drummers from different towns

• Chapter 24:  Drum Chieftaincies
• The origins of drum chieftaincies; drum chiefs and chieftaincy hierarchies; the different drum chieftaincies of the towns; how a chief drummer is buried; how a drummer gets chieftaincy; chieftaincy and leadership

• Chapter 25:  How Drummers Share Money
• How drummers earn money at gatherings; example of Namo-Naa and his messengers; sharing money to elders; “covering the anus of Bizuŋ”; how Alhaji Ibrahim divides drummers into groups and shares money; why drummers share money to old people and children; what drumming doesn't want; the need for “one mouth”

Volume II:  OLD TALKS:  DRUMMERS, CHIEFS, HISTORY AND RELIGION

Part 1:  CHIEFTAINCY

• Chapter 1:  The Forbidden Talks of Drumming
• Scope of the historical chapters from origins through Samban' luŋa; different types of historical figures; taboos and sacrifices; the importance of the Samban' luŋa; fears of drummers regarding early history; Harold Blair (Yakubuʒee) and other previous researchers in Dagbon

• Chapter 2:  How Drummers Search for the Old Talks
• How to acquire historical erudition; provenance of information and unreliable information; tactics of approach; greetings and sacrifices; sources for the work

• Chapter 3:  The Origins of Dagbon Before Naa Gbewaa
• The Dagbamba invasion of Ghana, the conquest of the indigenous peoples:  Nimbu, Ʒipopora, Kumtili, Naa Gbewaa, Naa Ʒirli

• Chapter 4:  Naa Shitɔbu and Naa Nyaɣsi, and the Founding of Dagbon
• Naa Shitɔbu, Naa Nyaɣsi; the usurpation of the tindanas:  the establishment of chieftaincies in the towns; Dagbamba relationships to Mamprusi. Mossi, Nanumba, and other cultural groups in the region; listing the line of the Yaa-Naas

• Chapter 5:  The Yaa-Naa and the Elders of Yendi
• The paramount chief:  the Yaa-Naa of Yendi; how a Yaa-Naa dies and is buried; selection of a new Yaa-Naa; list of Yaa-Naas; types of elders; the work of elders; intermediaries for chiefs; Yendi area elders; origins of main elderships; castration of elders; ranking of elders; Kuɣa-Naa; Mba Duɣu; the elder chieftaincies:  Gushe-Naa, Tolon-Naa, Gukpe-Naa, Kumbun-Naa; the Kambonsi; the women chiefs and the chief's wives

• Chapter 6:  Chieftaincy in Dagbon
• The Yaa-Naa and the thirteen divisional chiefs; types of divisional chieftaincy; organization of the chieftaincy hierarchy; buying chieftaincy; how the hierarchy shifts; paths to the Yendi chieftaincy; the elders' chieftaincies; paths to the elders' chieftaincies; drumming protocols related to the chieftaincy hierarchy

• Chapter 7:  How Princes Get Chieftaincy and Go to Hold a Town
• The life of princes; relationship of the first-born son to the second-born son; how the hierarchy shifts to accommodate princes; conflict between princes and junior fathers; the chief's elders:  Kamo-Naa, Wulana, Lun-Naa, Maagaaʒia, etc.; how a new chief lives with his elders and townspeople; how the townspeople and elders greet the chief on Mondays and Fridays

• Chapter 8:  How Chiefs Judge Cases
• The chief's court in pre-colonial times; the naazoonima (chief's friends); the role of the elders in cases; types of crime and the punishments; selling a bad person; witches and witchcraft cases; modern types of crime; comparison of chief's courts and civil courts

Part 2:  HISTORY

• Chapter 9:  The Drum History (Samban' luŋa)
• social context of the drum history performance at the chief's house; the performance format of the drum history; learning to sing it; the chief's responsibility for sacrifices; the lessons of history and main themes of particular chiefs; Dagbamba historiography; objectivity and divergent traditions in the Samban' luŋa

• Chapter 10:  The First Gonja War:  Naa Dariʒɛɣu and Naa Luro
• Example of the Samban' luŋa:  Gonja wars; the origins of the first war, the death of Naa Dariʒɛɣu; Naa Luro's abuse; Naa Luro at Gushie:  the blacksmiths and the bridge; Naa Luro's victory over Kaluɣsi Dajia; Pakpɔŋ Kachaɣu and Lunlana Lunʒɛɣu:  the origins and dancing of Baŋgumaŋa

• Chapter 11:  The Chieftaincy of Naa Zanjina, the Light of Dagbon
• The contributions of Naa Zanjina to Dagbamba custom; Naa Zanjina's youth and conversion to Islam; Naa Zanjina as the “light” of Dagbon; Naa Zanjina's Samban' luŋa; how Naa Zanjina got chieftaincy

• Chapter 12:  The Second Gonja War:  Naa Zanjina and Naa Siɣli
• Continuation of the wars; Kumpatia and the conquest of western Dagbon; how Naa Siɣli gathered his army; the war against the Konkombas; the death of Naa Zanjina; how Naa Siɣli obtained chieftaincy; the Dagbamba campaign against the Gonjas; the defeat of Kumpatia and the aftermath of the war

• Chapter 13:  The Cola and Slave Trades:  Naa Garba and the Ashantis
• Dagbamba-Ashanti relations; the uses of cola; the cola and shea butter trade; Naa Garba and the Ashantis; the capture and ransoming of Naa Garba; slavery and the slave trade in Dagbon; organization of the Dagbamba army; origin of the Kambonsi (soldiers)

• Chapter 14:  The Pre-Colonial Periods
• The old princes and new princes war for Karaga; Naa Yakuba's madness; Naa Abilaai and the Bassari war; Naa Andani: the Zambarima wars, the Kumbungu war, the German conquest and victory at Adibo; Tugulana Iddi, Kari-Naa Abukari and civil war; Naa Alaasani; the coming of the British; reunification of Dagbon; colonial rule under the British

• Chapter 15:  Modern History and the Chieftaincy Crisis
• Independence and the role of educated Dagbamba in the crisis; government interference in chieftaincy; the usurpation of Naa Mahamadu and its effects; the origins and escalation of the dispute under Naa Mahamam Bila and Mionlana Andani; fallacy of the claim of rotation; soldiers' government; the difficulty of repair

PART 3:  FESTIVALS IN COMMUNITY LIFE AND THE WORK OF DRUMMERS

• Chapter 16:  The Fire Festival
• The traditional calendar; Buɣim (Fire) Festival; the origins of the Fire Festival; historiographic resolution of Muslim and non-Muslim aspects of the Fire Festival; appropriation of customs; the fire procession; Dambabilaa

• Chapter 17:  The Damba Festival
• Origins of the Damba festival from Naa·Zanjina; the work of drummers in the Damba Festival; the Somo Damba; the Chiefs' Damba; how villagers celebrate the Damba Festival; the Damba Biɛlkulsi; Namo-Naa's role in the Damba Festival

• Chapter 18:  The Guinea Fowl, Ramadan, and Chimsi Festivals
• The origins and celebration of the Kpini (Guinea Fowl) Festival; Ramadan/Konyuri Chuɣu (Mouth-tying month); why Dagbamba fast; difficulties and techniques of fasting; the work of drummers during Ramadan:  Asem and Bandamda at the chief's house; the 26th day of the fast; the Eid' (Praying) Festival, the Samban' luŋa in the Eid' Festival; the respect of drumming during the Ramadan; example:  a trip to Akosombo and how the drummers were respected; Chimsi (Sacrificing) Festival

PART 4:  RELIGION AND MEDICINE

• Chapter 19:  The Dagbamba Belief in God
• Why Dagbamba believe in God; arguments for the existence of God; God's greatness; how Dagbamba remember God in their daily living

• Chapter 20:  The Muslim Religion in Dagbon
• Christianity and Islam; types of Muslims; Naa Zanjina and the introduction of Islam; the benefits of Islam; obligations of faith; prayer; the role of maalams; types of Muslims; areas of Muslim concentration in Dagbon; Muslim elders

• Chapter 21:  The Pilgrimage to Mecaa
• Dangers and benefits of the Hajj; preparations; Hajj agents; foreign exchange problems; arrival at Jidda; arrival at Mecca; Arafat; Mina; Mudzalifa; Medina; Alhaji Ibrahim's piety and his feelings of pity during the Hajj; return from Mecca; greetings

• Chapter 22:  Soothsayers and Diviners
• The inheritance of the soothsayers' bag; testing of soothsayers; the work of soothsaying; other types of diviners; the jinwarba; jinwarba divination

• Chapter 23:  The Priests of the Land
• Local gods and shrines; how tindanas inherit their chieftaincies; women tindanas; comparison of tindanas and chiefs; chiefs who are tindanas; the Dapkɛmas; tindanas and chiefs of Tamale; relations of tindanas and chiefs:  drum history story of Mionlana Mahami and Tindaan' Ʒee;

• Chapter 24:  Gods and Shrines
• Household shrines and the ancestors; the major shrines and gods and their work:  Yabyili, Naawuni, Pong Tamale, Chema, Jaagbo, Lansah, etc.

• Chapter 25:  Medicine
• How medicine works; types of medicine:  liliga, vua, kabrɛ, tahiŋga, etc.; witches and wizards (bukpahinima); maalams' medicines: walga, sabli

• Chapter 26:  Drummers' Medicines
• Drummers and medicine; he life of Alhaji Adam Mangulana; gandu, zambaŋa, teeli; jealousy among drummers; example of use of kabrɛ at drum history

• Chapter 27:  Diseases and Medicine
• Dagbamba ideas about medicine and health problems; major health problems of Dagbon; major diseases and how they are treated; other problems:  guinea worms and parasites

• Chapter 28:  Madness
• Types of madness; how a family responds; treatment of madness by soothsayers, medicine men, and maalams; madness and craft-guilds

Volume III:  IN OUR LIVING

PART 1:  ECONOMIC LIFE

• Chapter 1:  Farming in Dagbon
• The origins of farming in Dagbon; farming and the family; the sweetness of farming work; market-day farming and group farming

• Chapter 2:  How Dagbamba Sow Their Farms
• How Dagbamba farm yams; other crops:  corn, sorghum, millet beans; crop rotation and agricultural technology; farming rituals and sacrifices; uses of yams

• Chapter 3:  The Work of Guinea Corn and Other Crops
• Staple foods:  uses of guinea corn (sorghum), millet, corn, beans; pito (local beer):  ritual use, drinking habits

• Chapter 4:  Rice Farming
• Rice:  origins of rice farming; uses of rice; problems of intensive agriculture; credit facilities and debt patterns; emergent stratification patterns; wage labor in the villages

• Chapter 5:  Groundnuts, Shea Butter, and Kpalgu
• How Dagbamba farm groundnuts; preparation and uses of shea butter and kpalgu (local seasoning);

• Chapter 6:  Markets
• The traditional market system; types of markets;  the daalana; chiefs and markets; schedule of markets; benefits of markets; festival markets; the contemporary market system

• Chapter 7:  Modern Types of Work and Problems of Economic Development
• Modern trends in work patterns; the Dagbamba resistance to education and “white man's work”; guide to development of the region; water and dam maintenance; commercial and traditional agriculture; sources of local labor, sources of local decision-making; bullock farming and group farming

PART 2:  FAMILY

• Chapter 8:  Family and Lineage
• Terminology of the family in Dagbon; the differences of family, line or door, and tribe; the importance of knowing the family and the role of women and drummers; relationship of the lines of chiefs and commoners; how chieftaincy doors die

• Chapter 9:  How a Family Separates
• How families separate through marriage of different lines, through mixing of chieftaincy and commoner lines, and through inter-tribal mingling

• Chapter 10:  What Has Strength in Dagbamba Families
• Family and togetherness; benefits of a large family; how families extend; sharing children in the family; bonds of children from one mother

PART 3:  CHILDREN

• Chapter 11:  The Benefits of Many Children
• Why Dagbamba value children; role of children in the family; Dagbamba resistance to family planning; how children help their parents

• Chapter 12:  How a Child is Given Birth
• Pregnancy and mid-wifery; bathing a newborn child; naming a child; the suuna ceremony; the child in the mother's family house; how a child grows in infancy; differences between Muslims and non-Muslims

• Chapter 13:  Special Problems of Children
• Difficulties of children; twins; children and bad spirits; twins; orphans; relation to mother's house

• Chapter 14:  How Children Are Raised
• How children live with their parents; friends and peer groups; games and dances of children; how children are trained; formal education:  Arabic and English schools; vocational training

• Chapter 15:  How Girls Grow Up in the Villages
• Girls' work in the villages:  grinding, sheanuts, harvesting; household training; festival markets; early courtship patterns

• Chapter 16:  How Boys Grow Up in the Villages
• Boys' work in the villages:  farming, gathering food for domestic animals; festival markets:  working for one another; relationship to father for support of courtship

PART 4:  HOUSEHOLDING

• Chapter 17:  How Dagbamba Marry
• Ways of getting a wife; the age at which Dagbamba marry; responsibilities toward in-laws; how traditional Dagbamba marry; how Muslims marry; how chiefs marry; the life of chiefs' wives

• Chapter 18:  The Life of Bachelors
• Problems of being a bachelor; why Dagbamba don't respect bachelors; how bachelors live; women who don't have husbands

• Chapter 19:  Why Dagbamba Marry Many Wives
• hy Dagbamba marry many wives; the hierarchy of wives; rooms and cooking; how the chiefs live with their wives

• Chapter 20:  How Dagbamba Feed Their Wives
• How Dagbamba householders feed their wives and children; types of commoners; rotation of cooking among the wives; how chiefs' wives gather foodstuffs; financial contributions of husband and wives

• Chapter 21:  How a Husband and Wife Love One Another
• What a husband does for his wife; what a wife does for her husband

• Chapter 22:  The Work Women Do in a House and How They Help One Another
• Types of work women do in the house; the character of Dagbamba women; how women help each other

• Chapter 23:  Sex and Rivalry in a House
• Sexual patterns in the household; jealousy among wives; the use of medicine against each other; how a husband should live with wives who quarrel

• Chapter 24:  How a Husband and Wife Separate
• How Dagbamba divorce; causes of divorce; examples of three divorces

PART 5:  OLD AGE

• Chapter 25:  Widows
• Customs regarding the remarriage of widows; chiefs' widows: public bathing and beating; passing through the broken wall

• Chapter 26:  The Life of Old People
• Old age and respect; status of old people; responsibilities of old age; the family head; how old people live; types of old age; lives of three old people compared and contrasted

PART 6:  CONCLUSION:

• Chapter 27:  Alhaji Ibrahim's Reflections on the Work
• The history of Alhaji Ibrahim's relationship with John; problems of the work; why Alhaji Ibrahim did the work; how he feels about it; final instructions to John

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

• Supplementary within the chapters:
• PHOTOGRAPHS
• TABLES AND FIGURES as readers' aids for data-intensive chapters
• RECORDINGS of selected drumming and music to accompany the text
• OUTLINES and LINKS to chapter contents by paragraph
• PROVERBS and SAYINGS excerpted from chapter texts
• CHAPTER WORDLISTS excerpted for searches in ASCII and phonetic characters

• Other supplementary material:
• Excerpted chapter outlines with links by section and volume
• Links to all tables and figures
• Links to all image galleries
• Links to all audio files
• Currency Note
• Project status and chapter update history

• Maps:
• Map 1:    Ghana:  principal towns and cultural groups cited
• Map 2:    Northern and Upper Regions of Ghana:  major towns cited
• Map 3:    Dagbon:  all towns and villages cited

• Forthcoming:
• GLOSSARY of Dagbani words used in the text
• INDEX 1:  Persons, titles, towns, tribes in the text
• INDEX 2:  Proverbs, praise-names, dances mentioned in the text