Ewe drumming

The ensemble

A typical group has several drums, a double iron bell and a gourd rattle. The bell carries a repeated pattern that does not change during a piece. The rattle plays the same pattern with extra notes between the beats. The lead or master drum tells the others when to begin, when to stop and when to shift tempo or pattern. Other drums answer and fill in around the lead. A performance can happen with players seated or standing, depending on the instrument. Pieces vary from place to place. The same piece can sound different in Togo and in Ghana. The Fon people of Benin, who build settlements on water, use large floating gourds as drums rather than the upright drums common among the Ewe.

Bells and rattle

The gankogui is a forged iron double bell, its two bells bound together permanently. A wooden stick strikes it, and players treat this bell as the backbone of the music. Its part must stay steady and free of error, and the person who plays it is trusted to keep time. A second iron bell, the atoke, has a curved shape a little like a boat. It rests in the palm of the weaker hand and is struck with an iron rod held in the stronger hand; it can stand in for the gankogui. The axatse is a hollow gourd with a mesh of beads or seeds around it. Held by its handle, it is shaken up and down, striking the hand and the thigh to make two sounds. It adds energy.

Master drums

A master drummer leads the group, telling it when to play and to stop, and signaling changes of tempo or pattern. The lead may state the main theme and improvise, and it holds a drum dialogue with the kidi, filling the spaces in the kidi's part. Several drums can serve as the master: the atsimevu, sogo, kroboto, totodzi and agboba. The sogo is the basic one and can always substitute. The atsimevu is the tallest, about four and a half feet, and leans on a stand called a vudetsi. The agboba was invented by the Ewe in the 1950s for a new piece called agahu. The kloboto and totodzi are the smallest, around eighteen inches, and are played with two sticks while seated.

Other drums

The kidi is a middle-sized drum played with two wooden sticks. Its head is made from the skin of a deer or antelope, and its wooden body may carry carvings. It often plays an eighth-note pattern with small changes, and the Ewe describe it as talking or conversing with the lead drum. This exchange is called drum dialogue. The kaganu is the smallest and highest-sounding drum, about twenty inches tall, with a head of antelope or deer skin and a carved wooden body. Two long, thin sticks are used, usually while the player sits. Its pattern stays the same through a piece. The atumpan is a pair of talking drums used across Ghana. Its player stands and strikes it with two L-shaped sticks.

What it means

For Anlo-Ewe people, the drum makes the voice larger and sends it outward. The instrument joins natural materials: animal hide and a hollowed tree trunk. These become a medium for drawing attention and reaction. An Anlo-Ewe explanation says that the skin of an animal can give a stronger call than the animal's living voice, which is why a surrogate voice was made from hide to carry a message more loudly and clearly. Since Ewe languages use tones, a drummer can imitate speech. Cross-rhythm shapes the whole music. The scholar and drummer C.K. Ladzekpo explained it in lectures, and David Locke wrote about it. A.M. Jones first identified cross-rhythm as central to sub-Saharan rhythm.

How Ewe drumming is kept

An ensemble gathers with a bell player, a rattle player and several drummers. One drummer takes the lead. The bell starts a repeating cycle that holds the time. The rattle adds notes between the bell strokes. The lead signals the others, who answer on their drums. The kidi converses with the lead, and the lead may improvise. Some pieces keep a fixed pattern for the kaganu and bell, while other parts change. Players may sit or stand. A piece can be played at a celebration or simply for enjoyment. The same piece may differ from one Ewe community to another.

When and where

Ewe drumming has no fixed date. It is performed when a community gathers, whether to celebrate an event or for recreation. Agbadza, one piece, began as a warrior dance and now marks celebrations. The music can be played at any time of year, and the choice depends on the occasion rather than a calendar.

It belongs to Ewe communities in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Anlo-Ewe are named in accounts of its meaning and its cross-rhythms. The tradition is strongest where Ewe people live, and Ewe players may render a piece differently in each country. Among the Fon people of Benin, who build on water, large gourds float and serve as drums instead of the upright drums used by the Ewe.

What Ewe drumming means

To Anlo-Ewe people, the drum makes the voice larger and sends it outward. The instrument joins natural materials: animal hide and a hollowed tree trunk. These become a medium for drawing attention and reaction. An Anlo-Ewe explanation says that the skin of an animal can give a stronger call than the animal's living voice, which is why a surrogate voice was made from hide to carry a message more loudly and clearly. Since Ewe languages use tones, a drummer can imitate speech. Cross-rhythm shapes the whole music.

Questions people ask about Ewe drumming

See also

Chale Wote Street Art FestivalAn annual street art festival in Accra featuring murals, theater, and music.Shell moneyTraditional currency made from cowries, ground clam beads, and carved sea shellsFantasy coffinsCustom hand-carved burial caskets shaped as animals, tools and symbols in southern GhanaZangbetoA traditional security institution and night-guardian cult among the Ogu people of West Africa.

Good reading and sources

• Ewe drumming on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.