Discerning The Great Influence Of Drums On Ancient And Modern Times

By Jon Gray


Music has been a part of human society since the late prehistoric times. In those days, prehistoric men use primitive percussion devices like drums. Such music is as old as their late paleolithic religions.

These devices are still being used until today. Unlike modern drums hewn from synthetic plastic material, traditional drums maintain a separate cultural identity compared to their modern predecessors. But their cultural identity varies from every part of the world.

African music's main instrument has always been drums with its sort made of tough animal hide. In their voodoo ancestor worship, drum rapping has been a very important and factor along with dancing and chanting. It is believed that the ensemble is their link with the gods and their ancestors in the afterlife.

Drums are also highly significant in the earliest ancient European concept of music. Marauding Scandinavians and Greek navy rowers navigate with great precision as they listen to the sacred sound of the drummers on the prow. But also on stone cairns, druids of the Germanic and Gaelic cultures command drummers to play after they have finished their incantation for worship.

As far as Asian civilization is concerned, drums have been standard musical instrument in China. New year festivals litter the streets with a parade of musicians banging huge drums and cymbals to fill the town with revelry. Mascots of serpentine lions and dragons worn by dancers bop with the beat of the drummers.

Also in Asia, traditional drums have been a great influence to Japan's music culture. These fat drums called "taiko", similar to the Chinese leather percussion, are used not only as a background music for festivities but also in theatrical plays. Most importantly, these drums are used to sound the alarm at the castle spire of the samurai warriors on full alert to defend their lord.

In the American continent, drums are the most significant musical instrument among the natives. In ancient times preceding European settlement, natives used it for war as well as for important civil events such as the chief's wedding. But more importantly, Native American drums are symbolic to their cultural spiritual practice from the ancient times until today's annual All Nation's Powwow.

But if there is any ancient culture that considers traditional skin-hued drums as an important musical instrument until today, it's the tropical islander culture in all parts of the globe from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Modern reggae music was intergal to the uniting of all islander cultures who identify with each other's stark similarities. For this reason typical imagery of tropical beaches wouldn't be complete without sheep skin drums and the people dancing to the reggae beat.

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