A Drummer's Testament:  Dagbamba Society and Culture in the Twentieth Century


assembled drummers

Dedicated to Musicians and Friends of Musicians

A Drummer's Testament is the product of a collaborative ethnographic effort.  Led by John M. Chernoff and Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulai, a team of elders and translators gathered and preserved extensive lectures on Dagbamba music, history, and culture.  This web-based publication of A Drummer's Testament is intended to provide free access to that living body of cultural memory and thought.  In addition to research consultants, other co-authors and principal collaborators were Kissmal Ibrahim Hussein, Benjamin Danjumah Sunkari, Mustapha Muhammad, Alhaji Mumuni Abdulai, and Rev. Daniel A. Wumbee.


How to Navigate This Website

Each chapter has a PORTAL page that has links to:



A Drummer's Testament is organized into three volumes:




© 2024 John M. Chernoff

A Drummer's Testament may be accessed, cited, copied, or printed for private or non-profit educational use, but no modifications of content are authorized.  The material remains under copyright protection, and no commercial use or licensing of the material (text, images, or audio) may be inferred or undertaken without permission.  High-resolution images and high-quality audio files are available for licensing.

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