Music of the Dagomba from Ghana

Music of the Dagomba from Ghana introduces listeners to music from one of the largest ethnic tribes in the northern region of Ghana. Drums are featured most prominently in Dagomba music, followed by stringed instruments. One of these, the gondze, is made of a hollowed gourd and covered with reptile skin. The characteristic feature of Dagomba gondze music is the repetitive melodic and rhythmic time lines that are played by both fiddlers and rattlers. Other instruments such as flutes are used less frequently, often as background to drum and string ensembles. The album includes harvest songs, praise and entertainment music, and warrior music. Liner notes explain the instrumentation, rhythmic structure, and social context.

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