oR OTS
DIGGING
TO
BY
THE
V I C K I E H A M I LT O N - S M I T H
“I can recall musical moments
in my life that have been just exquisite–
the epitome of emotional involvement
and commitment and pleasure
from performing.”
RhYTH
JOHN C. PH
ILLIPS PHOT
O
OF
2 ASU RESEARCH—SPRING/SUMMER 1997
M
A R K S U N K E T T ’ S D R U M M I N G began on the floor of his family’s kitchen. He liked to bang away on pots and pans. Unlike most early pot and
pan pounders, Sunkett decided to make a career of it–drumming, that is. The elder Sunkett recognized his son’s potential as a percussionist.
A would-be jazz pianist himself, he realized that with Mark and his brother, Warren, the Sunkett family had the makings of a jazz trio.
PHOTO CO
URTESY
MARK
HM
munity. When there, I am in fact a part of that community,” Sunkett
says. “This really appeals to me because it addresses things that go
beyond African music and links me more directly to what I consider
a part of my African heritage.”
One of Sunkett’s first and more painful adjustments were the
bleeding hands and calluses needed to play African drums. “The sound
is better if I have calluses on my fingers,” he says. “You must fight to
maintain the right balance. Just enough callous and the sound is good;
too much and your fingers crack and bleed.”
A second obstacle was Sunkett’s African-American birthright,
which equipped him with Western sensibilities and perceptions of
intangibles such as rhythm.
“There are many more absolutes, more concrete components to music
in Western study,” he explains. “If you know the rules, you can pretty
much understand exactly what’s supposed to happen. But in African
music there’s a lot more fluidity, more variability in what can happen.”
Much depends on the “master drummer” who leads an African
drum ensemble. In Western terms, this lead drummer is much like the
conductor and featured soloist.
Other qualities are intrinsic to the culture. For drummers of the
community, the music and rhythms become second nature. Not hearing
them daily, Sunkett must learn to academically process the rhythms.
“I’m getting better at just being able to feel them, but that hasn’t
completely happened yet,” he laughs.
The African drum ensemble itself is not unlike a string quartet.
Members have some latitude to go beyond a prescribed musical part,
but they always are aware of their roles in the group. The larger the
ensemble, the less the opportunity for variation in parts. In Senegal,
ensemble sizes usually range from three to seven drummers.
Sunkett’s African aesthetic is flourishing. During a 1995 visit to
Senegal, he was allowed to be the master drummer in a few ensembles.
“Part of it fortunately is part of me,” Sunkett says. “There are some
things that have been retained or maintained in the African-American
culture that directly address the African aesthetic. These are the things
I write about.”
SUNKETT,
PH.D.
The younger Sunkett’s familial approach to music continues today.
An associate professor of music at Arizona State University, he
immerses himself in the study and performance of African drumming.
He says it is music that comes from and unites its community.
“Growing up in Pennsylvania, I was interested in African drumming. But there were not any outlets or ways to study this music academically,” Sunkett says. Instead, he headed to the Curtis Institute of
Music in Philadelphia to earn an orchestral percussion performance
degree. This classical music background eventually led him to asu
where he teaches music, and later to perform as principal timpanist
with the Phoenix Symphony.
“I’ve always been intrigued with African drumming and by the fact
that all the material I could find on the subject was produced by nonAfricans and non-African Americans,” Sunkett says. “This isn’t bad,
but I always thought there had to be another perspective.”
Sunkett provides that perspective. His curiosity and interest in
African drumming became the focus of a doctoral dissertation, a video,
and numerous recordings. For 10 years he has reveled in the accessibility of African music, especially from a performance perspective.
“If you want to study classical music, you must use the European
system of notation, theory, harmony,” Sunkett explains. African music
is more intrinsic.
Western jazz and rock music, both only recently studied from an
academic perspective, may be more approachable. However, Sunkett
says these forms of music are largely entertainment offered through
concert events which people attend and then leave.
“It is something that you turn on and turn off,” he says.African
music, on the other hand, is integrated into the lives of the people
it represents.
Sunkett has traveled to the West African country of Senegal five
times in the past decade. There he discovered the difference between
timpani and African drumming is not merely the change from one
instrument to another; it is part of an expansion of the overall musical
experience.
“African music is so much a part of social involvement in the com-
ASU R
E S E A R C H
—S
P R I N G
/S
U M M E R
1997
3
Drum Families
The drums of
Contruction of the
the Sabar ensemble
drums is hard
are shown below
physical labor—
in order of historic
Dimba wood is more
development,
dense than familiar
left to right.
hardwoods like oak.
West African
folklore tells
of two sisters
traveling on the
Senegal River.
Their boat hit
an object and
was split in half.
One sister,
Aguene, drifted
south to become
the “mother”
of the Jola people.
The other sister, Anecho,
lamb
drifted north to become the
n’der
“mother” of the Serer people.
Such stories, passed down through
generations, recount the origination
myths of Senegalese ethnic groups.
The stories hint at the relationships
of these groups, some derived from
others, some developing in tandem.
Distinctive music types, rhythms,
drums, and ensemble configurations
likewise follow these cultural transformations.
“There is a connection in the
music that these ethnic groups
play,” says ASU music professor
Mark Sunkett. The drums differ
in pitch and shape. However, most
follow a consistent playing style:
one stick and one hand. “In Senegal,
the Bamana people play the same or
similar rhythms played by the Wolof,
Lebu, or Jola, but they will play them
on their own drums.”
In Senegal, there are many types
of drums. The Djembe is played with
two hands. It is the drum of
the Bamana people. The Sabar is the
drum of the Wolof, Serer, and Lebu
peoples. The Sowruba is the drum of
the Jola. The Diun Diun is the drum
of the Serer. The Tama is a drum
used by all of the ethnic groups. The
Khin is a drum used in contemporary
culture by the Bey Faal people.
Sunkett’s book, Mandiani Drum and Dance: Djimbe Performance
and Black Aesthetics from Africa to the New World (White Cliffs
Media, Inc., Tempe, AZ, 1995), is based on the Mande dance and
drumming practices. Originally of Guinea, the Mande people play the
Djembe (jim-bay). The Djembe has been a popular drum in the United
States since the 1950s. Sunkett’s book grew from his doctoral dissertation. In it, he connects the music and dance traditions of the Djembe
with the African-American community and Senegalese culture.
“I wanted to be as complete and holistic as I could possibly be when
looking at a drum, dance, and a music culture,” Sunkett says. During
his research, he made field recordings of the music as performed
in Africa and the United States. He then conducted a comparative
analysis on the methods and styles of both the music and the dance.
Sunkett has since released a compact disk, “Mandiani Drum and
Dance,” and in early 1997, completed a video of the same title.
“There are things that you can describe with words and things you
can hear in the music, but sometimes an image is needed to fully
4 ASU RESEARCH—SPRING/SUMMER 1997
DJEMBE [jim-bay]: The first drum
to grasp Sunkett’s attention,
the Djembe is the most prominent
instrument of the Mande, originally
from Guinea. The distinct Djembe
sound of Senegal evolved after
the country became a region.
The ensemble for this goblet-shaped
hand drum generally consists of
three Djembe drums and one Diun
Diun, a double-headed bass drum.
SABAR [sa-bar]: This is the drum of
the Serer [seer-ear], an ethnic group
from the south-central Senegal.
They live north of the Senegal River
talmbat
near the Atlantic coast. The Sabar
ensemble provides the foundation of
drumming in Senegal, as it can represent the music of any of the areas.
An ensemble consists of seven
drums. The lead drum is the Sabar
N’Der. It is tall with a narrow waist.
Others in the ensemble are similar
in shape, but smaller in size. The
M’Bung M’Bung Bal is shorter than
the N’Der. It provides resonant bass
sounds. Shorter still is the Tungany,
added to the ensemble in the early
20th century. The Lamb is closedbottomed and barrel shaped. This
drum is lowest in pitch and the oldest
realize the whole impact,” Sunkett says. “I can recall musical moments
in my life that have been just exquisite–the epitome of emotional
involvement and commitment and pleasure from performing. I now
have a new area that provides the same kind of satisfaction, plus the
pure physicality of playing African drums.”
The asu professor has yet to satisfy his thirst for new rhythms.
Journeys to Africa introduced him to new friends, fellow drummers,
and different instruments. The Djembe book, compact disk, and video
are part of a process Sunkett plans to continue.
In early 1997, he produced and released a second compact disk,
“Sabar: The Soul of Senegal.” Eventually, Sunkett plans to write about
other drums, which have captured his attention–the Sowruba, Diun
Diun, Tama, and Khin.
Research for the Mandani Drum and Dance book, compact disk, and video was
supported in part by Earthwatch. For more information, contact Mark E. Sunkett,
Ph.D., School of Music, College of Fine Arts, 602.965.5508.
The final task
is applying the
animal-skin drumhead, tuned and
PHOTOS COURTESY MARK SUNKETT, PH.D.
hardened by fire.
LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF DRUMS
a r k S u n k e t t studies
studies the
theinterconnections
interconnectionsbetween
between
Senegalese
Senegalese
ethnic groups
instruments.
He He
makes
audio
ethnic
groupsand
andtheir
theirrepresentative
representative
instruments.
makes
and video
in his quest
document
the present,
audio
andrecordings
video recordings
in histoquest
to document
the established
present,
rhythms of different
families. drum
But hisfamilies.
vision isBut
to learn
exactlyis how
the
established
rhythmsdrum
of different
his vision
to learn
rhythmshow
werethe
played
a hundred
years ago.
exactly
rhythms
were played
a hundred years ago.
Sunkett relies
hishis
research
goals.
TheThe
inforSunkett
relieson
oncommunication
communicationtotoaccomplish
accomplish
research
goals.
mation sources
are diverse:
the international
language
of music,
more literal
information
sources
are diverse:
the international
language
ofamusic,
a more
FrenchFrench
dialect,dialect,
and Wolof,
tonguea native
to a only
region
Senegal.
literal
andaWolof,
tongueonly
native
to of
a region
of Senegal.
Contemporary and
ensembles
often
represent
a mix
of drum
families,
Contemporary
andfolkloric
folkloric
ensembles
often
represent
a mix
of drum
enabling them
to perform
theperform
rhythmsthe
of various
groupsethnic
by simply
bringing
families,
enabling
them to
rhythmsethnic
of various
groups
outsimply
the sound
of oneout
drum
another.
by
bringing
theorsound
of one drum or another.
willwill
useuse
a couple
“The group
group may
maynot
nothave
haveaacomplete
completeSabar
Sabarensemble–they
ensemble–they
Djembes
a couple
the prominent
will besound
that
aofcouple
of and
Djembes
andofa Sowrubas–but
couple of Sowrubas–but
thesound
prominent
of Sabar,”
explains.
will
be thatSunkett
of Sabar,”
Sunkett explains.
Documenting the
preserves
them
Documenting
therhythms
rhythmsand
andperformance
performancetraditions
traditions
preserves
them for
for future
generations
local
drummers,ethnomusicologists,
ethnomusicologists,and
andresearchers.
researchers.
future
generations
of of
local
drummers,
Sunkett tries
professors.
Sunkett
triesto
toapply
applythe
theteaching
teachingofofone
oneofofhis
hiscollege
college
professors.
Sunkett recalls
“if“if
youyou
can’t
discover
Sunkett
recallsthat
thataxiom.
axiom.“As
“Asananexplorer,”
explorer,”hehesaid,
said,
can’t
discover
they
areare
now
soso
the way
way things
thingswere
wereininthe
thepast,
past,atatleast
leastdocument
documentthe
theway
way
they
now
at at
this
particular
point
in time.”
that future
future researchers
researcherswill
willknow
knowthe
thesituation
situation
this
particular
point
in time.”
Nevertheless, Sunkett’s
continues.
“I’m
looking
for the
Nevertheless,
Sunkett’squest
questforfortradition
tradition
continues.
“I’m
looking
for old,
pureold,
rhythms
that use only
of each
ensemble
they were
the
pure rhythms
that the
usedrums
only the
drums
of each as
ensemble
asconfigured
they
a hundred
years ago,”
he says.
A daunting
heAadmits,
since
traditions
were
configured
a hundred
years
ago,” hetask,
says.
daunting
task,
he admits,
become
diluted as
generations
pass.
since
traditions
become
diluted
as generations pass.
“Think about
people
who
areare
closest
to atotradition
“Think
aboutit,”
it,”Sunkett
Sunkettsays.
says.“The
“The
people
who
closest
a tradition
want that
wants
to offer
theirtheir
ownown
contriwant
thattradition
traditiontotoevolve.
evolve.Each
Eachgeneration
generation
wants
to offer
bution, so things
change.change.
However,
in Senegal,
since thissince
culture
not oneisthat
contribution,
so things
However,
in Senegal,
thisisculture
has one
concrete
methods
of recording
archiving information,
it could
very easily
not
that has
concrete
methodsand
of recording
and archiving
information,
disappear.
Some
of itdisappear.
already has,”
he of
adds.
“I might
not find
someone
who not
it
could very
easily
Some
it already
has,”
he adds.
“I might
is 100
years old,
butisI should
be able
someone
who to
hasfind
hadsomeone
stories
find
someone
who
100 years
old, to
butfind
I should
be able
passed
family members.”
who
hasdown
had through
stories passed
down through family members.”
leaves
thethe
comfortable
language
of rhythms.
In search
searchofofsuch
suchstories,
stories,Sunkett
Sunkett
leaves
comfortable
language
Therhythms.
pursuit shifts
to foreign
tongues
such as
French,such
whichasisFrench,
spoken which
throughout
of
The pursuit
shifts
to foreign
tongues
Senegal.
by Senegal.
EuropeansDominated
until 1959,by
theEuropeans
written history
the area is
is
spokenDominated
throughout
untilof1959,
largely
in French.
Senegal
presently
developing
a written
language
in a native
the
written
history
of the isarea
is largely
in French.
Senegal
is presently
tongue, Wolof.
developing
a written language in a native tongue, Wolof.
“I’m trying
thethe
Wolof
language,”
Sunkett
says.
“I’m
tryingtotodevelop
developmy
myskills
skillsin in
Wolof
language,”
Sunkett
says.
thatthat
Sunkett’s
onlyonly
textbook
The task
task isisdifficult.
difficult.Wolof
Wolofisissosoarea-specific
area-specific
Sunkett’s
textbook
comes from
Sunkett
intends
to learn
comes
from the
thePeace
PeaceCorps.
Corps.But
Butbybyusing
usingWolof,
Wolof,
Sunkett
intends
to learn
of of
thethe
elders,
some
of whom
refuse
the stories
storiestucked
tuckedaway
awayininthe
thememories
memories
elders,
some
of whom
refuse
to speak
speak anything
anythingbut
buttheir
theirown
ownlanguage.
language.
vary.
There are other
other twists
twistsand
andturns
turnsalong
alongthe
theway.
way.Sometimes
Sometimesstories
stories
vary.
Sunkett recalls
it was
wrong
to begin
with.
Sunkett
recallsrepeating
repeatingaastory
storyonly
onlytotolearn
learnthat
that
it was
wrong
to begin
with.
“People remembered
told
a researcher.
Then
theythey
“People
rememberedstories
storiesthey
theyonce
oncehad
had
told
a researcher.
Then
said to
Now,
here’s
thethe
truth’,”
Sunkett
said
to me,
me, ‘Well,
‘Well,that’s
that’swhat
whatwe
wetold
toldhim.
him.
Now,
here’s
truth’,”
Sunkett
laughs. “That’s
have
to to
look
forfor
as as
many
corroborating
laughs.
“That’spart
partofofresearch.
research.You
You
have
look
many
corroborating
witnesses as
If you
findfind
twotwo
people
thatthat
givegive
witnesses
asyou
youcan
canfor
forevery
everyexplanation.
explanation.
If you
people
believe
it. it.
If you
findfind
twotwo
people
who
you the
the same
same story,
story,then
thenyou
youcan
canstart
starttoto
believe
If you
people
give you
stories,stories,
then you
have
find three
people.”
who
givedifferent
you different
then
youtohave
to findmore
three
more people.”
JOHN C. PHILLIPS PHOTO
M
tungany
m’bung m’bung bal
remaining drum of the ensemble.
Also closed-bottomed, the Talmbat
has a narrow barrel shape and
functions as the tenor voice.
“The Sabar have existed as an
ensemble since before the 15th
century,” Sunkett explains. “Each
drum is carved from a solid piece
of Dimba wood, a tree related to
mahogany. The Serer are one of
the oldest ethnic groups in Senegal.
Their rhythms are closely related
to the Jola of Cassamace.”
SOWRUBA [so-ru-ba]: Cassamace
is in the southern region of Senegal,
located below the Senegal River and
below Gambia. The region is home
of the Jola and their Sowruba drums.
The Sowruba family is made of three
drums. The Kotero is bass. The
Kotero N’Ding has a higher voice.
The Sabaro is the lead voice.
Sowruba drums are long,
skinny, and close enough in pitch
that it is difficult to determine which
drum produces which sound. This
closeness makes the music sound
quite complex.
DIUN DIUN [June June]: The Farr
Diun Diun people are known as the
keeper of the Diun Diun. Basically
Serer, they live in the Kaolack
region of central Senegal. Kounta
Camara is the man who brought
the Diun Diun to the region.
The Diun Diun is a two-headed
bass drum. Its ensemble represents
one of the oldest configurations.
The Diun Diun has been added to
the Djembe ensemble. Sometimes
the Diun Diun ensemble includes
the Sabar N’Der. The drum acts
as the leader and calls rhythms
played by the Diun Diun.
TAMA [ta-ma]: Lebu and Wolof
people play the Tama. The drum
is also identified with the northern
part of Senegal near Saint Louis.
The Tama ensemble has two to three
different sizes of small hourglass
shaped drums. Held under the arm
of the drummer, the Tama changes
pitch slightly when squeezed. Its
high pitch is described as sounding
like the voice of a swallow. The
drum has its own body of music,
but is also now included in the
Sabar ensemble.
KHIN [heen]: The Khin is the oldest
Senegalese drum that is made of
animal skin. The drum is the instrument of a specific division of the
Mourid Islamic sect; today called
Bey Faal [bi-fal]. The low-voiced
Khin is a single-headed, skin
covered drum with an open bottom.
It once was but no longer is part
of the Sabar ensemble.
— V I C K I E H A M I L T O N -S M I T H
—VICKIE HAMILTON-SMITH
ASU R
E S E A R C H
—S
P R I N G
/S
U M M E R
1997
5