Akeem Ayanniyi

Nigeria

Agalu African Music

Drums

The gorgeous West African drums and the hypnotic, dynamic rhythms of Agalu African music are the two folk art traditions brought to us by Akeem Ayanniyi from Nigeria, Africa. These instruments are all hand crafted with local materials; carved from mahogany or teak, topped with cow hide, and laced with rope strings. The shape creates the type and sound of the drum: conical is Ashiko, inverse conical is bata, mushroom is djembe, and cylindrical shape is the famous Yoruba talking drum. The pitch can be raised or lowered by squeezing the drum’s strings, and the artistry of playing is in the adjustment of the strings.

These West African drums are among some the oldest village to village communication instruments, and the heavily forested Yoruba area of Nigeria is where the talking drums were said to be invented. The instruments are integral for Yoruba life and played for ceremonial occasions and religious functions. Akeem is from a highly respected family of drummers and drum makers and he can proudly trace this folk art in his family through nine generations. He founded an Agula dance troupe and tours Europe and the United States sharing African music and culture.