RIVER NIGER- Drums/ Celebration

In the highlands of the Niger River in West Africa, this month is the the time of harvest. It’s one of the annual rhythms of life that’s punctuated by the sounds of percussion. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by the American Museum of Natural History.

“At the end of the rainy season on the Niger river, that’s when they’ve planted rice, they’re beginning to harvest it and that is the staple food for the entire year, so they’re in a celebratory mood. They’re celebrating; there are dances almost every night. They’re bringing in the crops that they’re going to survive off of for the entire year.”

Mark Jenkins is the author of To Timbuktu, a book which chronicles his travels through rural west Africa. We tells us that central to these celebrations, and to daily life in west Africa, are the village drums.

“Normally in a small village there are three drummers, that is their occupation, and they are called by the chief when there is some kind of celebration You have to remember that in the highlands, the sound of a drum can carry ten kilometers so when one village hears the drums of another, those drums are actually speaking. They have a language of their own. Drums are still the primary form of expression, musical expression, and communication in these villages. So when it comes to celebrating, drums are at the heart of what happens in a village.”

Well we’d like to hear about the ways that you observe or celebrate the seasons of your year. Please call our toll free number, 1-877-PULSE-99. That’s toll-free 1-877-PULSE-99.

Pulse of the Planet is presented by the American Museum of Natural History. Additional funding for this series has been provided by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.

RIVER NIGER- Drums/ Celebration

This month is harvest season in the highlands of the Niger River.
Air Date:09/13/1999
Scientist:
Transcript:

In the highlands of the Niger River in West Africa, this month is the the time of harvest. It's one of the annual rhythms of life that's punctuated by the sounds of percussion. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by the American Museum of Natural History.

"At the end of the rainy season on the Niger river, that's when they've planted rice, they're beginning to harvest it and that is the staple food for the entire year, so they're in a celebratory mood. They're celebrating; there are dances almost every night. They're bringing in the crops that they're going to survive off of for the entire year."

Mark Jenkins is the author of To Timbuktu, a book which chronicles his travels through rural west Africa. We tells us that central to these celebrations, and to daily life in west Africa, are the village drums.

"Normally in a small village there are three drummers, that is their occupation, and they are called by the chief when there is some kind of celebration You have to remember that in the highlands, the sound of a drum can carry ten kilometers so when one village hears the drums of another, those drums are actually speaking. They have a language of their own. Drums are still the primary form of expression, musical expression, and communication in these villages. So when it comes to celebrating, drums are at the heart of what happens in a village."

Well we'd like to hear about the ways that you observe or celebrate the seasons of your year. Please call our toll free number, 1-877-PULSE-99. That's toll-free 1-877-PULSE-99.

Pulse of the Planet is presented by the American Museum of Natural History. Additional funding for this series has been provided by the National Science Foundation. I'm Jim Metzner.