The drum called Sogo
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to Atsimevu
Sogo's carved cylindrical shape looks somewhat like Atsimevu cut into half, just below the expansion in the middle section, and closed at the bottom. It is roughly about twenty-six inches tall with a drum head of about (nine inches in diameter and an expansion in the middle section of about fifteen inches in diameter.
The name Sogo was derived from a description of the shape of the drum that looks somewhat similar to the shape of a large gourd calabash commonly used in sacrificial offerings to So, an Ewe divinity associated with thunder. (lit. So - Divinity associated with thunder + go - gourd-calabash).
In performance, the player sits on a short stool behind sogo with a firm relaxed body as the hands go into motion supported in position form the elbows. The actual swing of the hand is done from the wrist.
The drum called Sogo
Tonality And Performance Techniques
As a lead drum, the tonality and performance techniques of sogo are exactly like that of atsimevu. As a supporting drum the most common method of releasing the initial vibration of sogo is by striking the membrane with a stick technique.
Support Drum Basic Pitch: "De"
There are two types of stick techniques in the art of support drumming. Each of these techniques produces a distinct pitch of the support drum pitch series.
The first stick technique produces a middle range pitch referred to in vocal syllables as "De" or "Ge". This is achieved by delivering a stick shot which rebounds after striking the center of the drum head, allowing the membrane to vibrate in its entirety. The syllables "De" is normally assigned to strokes delivered by the strong hand and "Ge" is assigned to strokes produced by the weak hand.
Pitch "De" and "Ge"
Sogo Basic Stick Technique
Support Drum Pitch "Ku" or "Tu"
An alternate stick technique releases a partial vibration of the membrane by pressing the stick firmly on the drum head to prevent it from bouncing after the stroke is delivered. This technique produces a pitch commonly referred to in the vocal syllable as "Ku" or "Tu.." The syllables "Tu" is normally assigned to strokes delivered by the strong hand and "Ku" is assigned to strokes produced by the weak hand. In comparison with the pitches "De" and Ge, the pitches "Ku" and "Tu" are higher.
Figure 14
Pitch "Ku" and "Tu"
Pressed Stick Technique
Kidi is the next drum among the indigenous instrumental resources of the Anlo-Ewe.
Kidi is carved in a shape just like sogo but smaller in size and higher in pitch. It is roughly about twenty-three inches tall with a drum head of about eight inches in diameter and expansion in the middle section of about fourteen inches in diameter.
The drum called Kidi
Tonality And Performance Techniques
Kidi functions mostly as a supporting drum in the basic ensemble and shares the same support drum performance techniques as sogo. But since it has a higher pitch than sogo difference vocal syllables are used to indicated its pitches.
Kidi Basic Pitch: "Ki" or "Di"
A stick shot which rebounds after striking the center of the drum head is assigned the vocal syllables "Ki" or "Di." "Di" is normally assigned to strokes delivered by the strong hand and "Ki" is assigned to strokes produced by the weak hand.
Figure 16
Pitch "Ki" and "Di"
Kidi Basic Stick Technique
Kidi Pitch "Ku" or "Tu"
An alternate stick technique releases a partial vibration of the membrane by pressing the stick firmly on the drum head to prevent it from bouncing after the stroke is delivered. This technique produces a pitch commonly referred to in the vocal syllable as "Ku" or "Tu.." The syllables "Tu" is normally assigned to strokes delivered by the strong hand and "Ku" is assigned to strokes produced by the weak hand. In comparison with the pitches "De" and Ge, the pitches "Ku" and Tu" are higher.
Figure 17
Pitch "Ku" and "Tu"
Kidi Pressed Stick Technique
Kagan is the smallest drum among the indigenous instrumental resources of the Anlo-Ewe . It's carved cylindrical body is like a copy of Atsimevu on a much reduced scale, about twenty inches tall with a drum head of about six inches in diameter, an expansion in the middle section of about nind inches in diameter and an opening of about six inches in diameter at the bottom to let the vibrations out.
Kagan is held diagonally between the legs of the drummer seated on a stool for a convenient playing angle. A technique of slapping the membrane with a slightly flexible stick is the most common means of playing kagan, which is tuned to produce the highest pitch of the entire drum ensemble.
The drum called Kagan
Kagan Technique
Boba is another drum of the Anlo-Ewe indigenous instrumental resources. It has a fat cylindrical body with very unusual measurements; about thirty inches tall, a middle expansion body of nineteen inches in diameter and a drum head of about seventeen inches in diameter. There are two kinds of Boba each distinguished by the manner in which the bottom is constructed. One has a full open bottom and the other has its bottom partially covered resulting in two distinct tone colors, and functions. In play, boba is supported in a tilted position by the help of vudetsi or drum stand to let the vibrations out producing an incredible booming bass sound.
Figure 19
A Sketch of Boba
Boba has a dual traditional role of lead drum in some musical structures and a supporting drum in others. As a lead drum, the performance techniques of boba are exactly like that of atsimevu but described in much lower vocal syllables. As a supporting drum, the techniques using full bare hand and full fingers are the most common.
Figure 20
Sketches of Stick, Full Hand Full Finger Techniques of Boba
Kroboto and Totodzi are constructed in similar shape and size but tuned differently. Their cylindrical bodies are the shortest among the drum ensemble of the Ewe, just about eighteen inches tall, a drum head of about ten inches in diameter, a middle expansion of thirteen inches in diameter and an open bottom of about ten inches. They function as supporting drums in some drum ensembles and lead drums in others. In both capacities, stick drumming techniques are always used. As a support drum, the performance techniques are similar to that of sogo. As a lead drum the performance techniques are the same as atsimevu's stick drumming techniques.
Figure 21
A Sketch of Kroboto and Totodzi
Gankogui, Atoke and Axatse
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