Anlo Ewe drum ensemble, Ghana

Left to right: Kidi (medium-sized support drum), Atsimevu (master drum), Sogo (large support drum), Kagan (high-pitched support drum).

Among the Anlo Ewe, drums are understood as an extension of the human voice and serve as instruments of communication, social interaction, dance, and ceremonial performance. Rather than functioning as isolated instruments, they are organized into highly structured ensembles in which each drum fulfills a specific musical role.

The ensemble combines membranophones with idiophones such as bells, rattles, and stick-clappers. While bells provide a fixed rhythmic timeline, the drums create complex layers of interlocking patterns and cross-rhythms that are characteristic of Ewe music.

Anlo drum bodies differ from most West African carved drums. Instead of being hollowed from a single tree trunk, they are traditionally constructed from individual wooden staves held together by metal hoops, resembling European barrel-making techniques. Earlier forms may have included clay vessels and calabash resonators.

The drums shown here illustrate the internal hierarchy of the ensemble. The Atsimevu serves as the lead or master drum and combines hand and stick techniques. The Sogo and Kidi provide supporting rhythmic patterns, while the small Kagan maintains a continuous, high-pitched time pattern. Closed drums such as the Sogo and Kidi possess a lateral sound hole near the base, whereas the Atsimevu and Kagan are open-ended drums.

Traditional drumheads are attached by a characteristic lacing system using wooden tuning pegs and twisted cords. This technique closely resembles the methods used by neighboring Akan drum makers. Drum pegs and drumsticks are traditionally carved from carefully selected hardwood species capable of withstanding the considerable tension required for tuning.

The historical photograph documents an Ewe drum ensemble during a public celebration in 1924 and illustrates the close relationship between music, dance, and community life in coastal West Africa.

Bibliography:
Anku, W. (2009): Drumming Among the Akan and Anlo Ewe of Ghana – An Introduction. African Music 8.
Fiagbedzi, N. (1977): The Music of Anlo. Its Historical Background, Cultural Matrix and Style.
Ladzekpo, C.K.: Drums and Drumming.
Locke, David (1982): Principles of Off-Beat Timing and Cross-Rhythm in Southern Ewe Dance Drumming.
Young, P. (2011): Music and Dance Traditions of Ghana.