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A slit drum (also called a slit gong) is essentially a hollowed-out log or block
of wood that, when struck, makes a pleasant and resonant sound. It has long been
used in Central Africa to transmit messages over some distance and also
accompany dance. Often depicting the forest buffalo, at times it reached
imposing size and stood for the power and prestige of the chief, enhancing his
ability to lead and protect his village.
Once the drum's outside perimeter was established, it was carefully hollowed out
to leave a thick and thin lip on either side of the slit. This produced higher
(female) and lower (male) sounds, approximating those of the tonal language
characteristic of the Bantu language family. The skilled drummer, using
variations in accent and rhythms, could make the drum "talk" in an abridgement
of the spoken language. It was most sonorous in the late evening or early
morning and could be heard over distances of four to 12 miles.
The Art Institute's drum belongs to a stylistically cohesive group made in the
Ubangi River village of Dongo. Of these, it is the largest and formally the
sparest. The buffalo's torso (the sound chamber) and legs (the supports) echo
the shapes of the original log's cylinder; against these are played the
delicately proportioned head, neck, and tail. A long, flat plane, reaching from
the tail through the head, contributes to its unity and dramatic impact. The
civilized act of the highly skilled artist-craftsman has metaphorically brought
the untamed force of the forest under control and transferred its power to the
chief and the village.
In 1905, the British carried out a punitive expedition against a village of
northern Zaire and the officer in charge reported:
Priscilla Colt
SUGGESTED READINGS:
Brandel, Rose. The Music of Central Africa: an Ethnomusicological Study.
The Hague: M. Nijhoff, 1961.
Carrington, J.F. Talking Drums of Africa. London: Carey Kingsgate Press,
1946.
The [village] drum was an object of great reverence; we saw several . . . but
none so big. Apparently the size was relative to each "sultan's" importance.
That we carried away the drum was of great effect in assuring the people that
Yambio [the chief] was really done for.
Reports from the Congo, dating as early as 1942, attest to the rise of new
technologies and the gradual silencing of the drums.
