Born a Musician: The Making of a Dùndún Drummer among the Yorùbá people of Nigeria

Abstract

Due to its popularity and as an exemplar of the Yoruba cultural practices, the dundun (widely known as the ‘talking drum’) has received much scholarly attention for its musical and literary functions. However, there is a dearth of studies focusing on music education of the dundun tradition. Conducting a qualitative study involving extensive observations and in-depth interviews, with dundun drummers in different towns in south-west Nigeria, the study investigates the teaching-learning process in the world of dundun. Findings reveal that, although dundun musicians hold the belief that a musician is made through a combination of ajebi (genetics) and ebun (a gift), several methods such as observation, participation, modelling, and verbal instructions are employed in the dundun pedagogy. The paper concludes by highlighting the implication of the indigenous methods on contemporary music education in sub-Saharan Africa.