KEEP CALM AND BE HAPPY

Acquiring wealth is one of –if not- the most important things to us humans, because wealth is like a gateway to whatever we desire. But in the process of acquiring wealth, we have forgotten how to live and be happy. We have instead focused stressing and fighting without rest, or even throwing people out of our way just to get that which we desire. Each day you look outside, you see different people striving for the same thing; which is ultimately wealth. The problem with this is that we have become more focused on other things that we have forgotten how to live. Let us sit down and ask ourselves this question, “when was the last time we lived?” Living does not mean just being alive, it means appreciating those things that makes life beautiful

There are many ways we can achieve happiness, of which wealth is also part of. Helping people who are in need can bring happiness to us. When you see someone in need of something and you know quite well that you can afford to help that person, why not do that and put a smile on that person’s face. This is what happiness is about, being able to make someone else happy can make us happy as well. This is what makes life beautiful, being able to help someone in need. There is so much more to life that makes it beautiful, not just acquiring wealth.

Being alive is the main reason why we should be happy. Every night people go to sleep with the hope of waking up the next day, but how many of them actually wake up. We should all be happy that we are still alive. Going through our day without losing our lives is another reason to be happy. Since life is too short to spend being sad. Happy people are what this generation lack. Most people are not happy with their jobs, instead of being happy that they have one in the first place.

            I once walked into a train and a man I have never met before asked me a question that I will never forget. He said to me, “where have you dropped your smile?” That was when I realized that I need to be happy and also show. What he told me that day put a smile on my face, and that smile is still there to this day. You can go around and see that there are less smiles more bitterness and anger among people of our generation than before. Yes, times are hard but we should still be able to smile and stay happy. Some of the happiest people in the world come from the poorest countries who cannot afford to live like we can. These people live happily though they do not know when the next meal will come from. Why can’t we be happy like them? Some of us consider ourselves poor but we can afford to pay rent, eat three square meals a day, and even work.

            Whenever you complain about your situation and how unfortunate you might be, remember that there are people around the world who are in situations worse than yours. People in Africa who survive on a dollar per day, people around the U.S. who have no homes, orphans of war in the Middle East who have no one to take care of them, sick people with no hope of survival. With all these going on, these people still smile, laugh, and stay happy. Why can’t you who still have a roof over your head and eat three times a day be grateful and happy? Look around you, there are one thousand and one reasons why you should put a smile on that beautiful face. 

THE NIGERIAN TALKING DRUM (part 2)

Continued...

The Nigerian talking drum is no longer a Nigerian thing, but is now a global musician instrument. Many foreigners have researched into what makes the drum unique in order to become better enlightened in the study of West African polyrhythmic sounds. Dr. Michael Varner, a Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, went on a research mission to western Nigeria to learn more about the Talking drum. He was quoted as saying, “There’s no equivalent use of pitch in American or European music-- making individual words impossible to imitate on other drums”.[1] Many foreigners like Dr. Varner have hailed the impact of the Nigerian Talking drum but it is a pity that many indigenous people have almost abandoned the talking drum for western drums. It has now been left to the older ones or foreigners to propagate the importance of these drums.

Some locals have begun an initiative to increase awareness of the Yoruba culture so that Nigerians and the rest of the world can be better enlightened about music and indeed, the talking drum. [2]A Yoruba activist, Chief Oyelami established the Center for Creative arts in Iragbiji, western Nigeria in order to promote Yoruba arts on the local and international scene. Top of the agenda is the talking drum. All over the center, different types of talking drums can be seen played by students and performers. Many students every year travel to western Nigeria to learn about the Talking drum since that is its origin. The talking drum’s influence can be seen all over the Caribbean countries like Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago, etc. After the trans-Atlantic slave trade, many freed slaves who were on these islands chose to retain their African heritage and still play the talking drums today. The Nigerian Talking Drum Ensemble helps spread the dance related to the talking drums all over the world.

The talking drum is also associated with religion, as many traditional religious practices in Africa involve the playing of the talking drum.[3] The talking drums are also used in churches in times of praise and worship not just in Nigeria, but in different parts of the continent. In African churches in the United States, there will be no excitement in praising God if there were no talking drums that made people dance. In terms of celebration, the talking drum is ever present in people’s midst. In Nigeria, every celebration, be it funerals, birthdays, or naming ceremonies, there will be dancing, and when there is dancing, there is the talking drum. The talking drums were initially restricted to only men, but it later became a unisex instrument. One of the most successful talking drum drummers from Nigeria is Ara, a woman who started from a tender age to play. [4]She faced numerous challenges in her journey to become a renowned drummer because of her gender. Though it was difficult, and no one was available to teach Ara the skills required to master this instrument, she did not lose hope. We have now seen many drummers pick up the business of drumming in Nigeria.

The Nigerian talking drum is a very interesting and intriguing drum because of its ability to communicate in different pitches. Though the talking drum is scattered all over Africa and the new world, each country has a different one that have different meanings and significance. It is rather sad that many locals in Nigeria have abandoned these local drums to take up foreign drums. It is a good thing to explore foreign musical instruments, but there could be a way to mix both types of drums to produce soothing sounds. People should be encouraged to conduct research about different instruments unknown to them so as not to be ethnocentric. The use of the talking drum has migrated from western Nigeria to many parts of the world and one can say that the talking drum is Nigeria’s gift to the world of music.

---

[1]               Bridget Lewis, “‘Talking Drum’ Research Helps Music Professor Bridge Cultures, Languages”, University of Texas, Arlington, News Center. 2013

[2]               Jesse Ruskin, “'Talking Drums' on Rural and Global Stages” UCLA International Institute. February 01, 2010.

[3]               “Talking Drums: An Introduction” Horn Blend December 01, 2010, Web

[4]               Theodore Nyingifa, “Ara: More Than Drums and Braids” Pulse March 26 2012, Web.

THE NIGERIAN TALKING DRUM(part 1)

Music in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa is different from western music because it involves polyrhythms, which is the mixing of multiple rhythms in a musical performance. Many instruments like guitar, trumpet, etc. are involved in performances, but the most important and unique instrument is the Talking Drum, which is Africa’s musical gift to the rest of the world. The influence of the talking drum can be felt all over the world and it was also moved by the slaves during the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the new world. The talking drum is mainly an instrument of most West African countries. Though there are different types or of the drum depending on the country, they are all categorized together because of its “talking” effects. The talking drum from Nigeria is in focus, with the history, nature, application, and the effects of the talking drum on the locals and on the international scene being discussed.

            The talking drum is believed to be created in the western city of Oyo by the Oba Alaafin Ajiboye, as a means of communication between people long before writing.[1] It was, and is still used in many parts of the country as communication means. What makes the Yoruba talking drum different is that it is used to disseminate information.[2] It was also used in practicing the ritual rites involved in the crowning of kings in the Yoruba lands. The talking drum then spread to other West African countries like Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The Nigerian talking drum is not only restricted to the Yoruba tribe, but also to other tribes of the country. It can also be seen as the identity of Nigerian music as everyone uses it in many traditional gatherings ranging from marriage, religious activities, and also normal musical performances. Before a king is crowned in the Yoruba land, he is taken to the shrines of the forebears and is made to learn the intricacies of the dance steps to the talking drums of your ancestors.

[3]The talking drum, which is locally called dun-dun, is a membranophone that has an hourglass shape with strings around it. It is covered by leather membranes on both sides, mostly animal skin. It can be played with drumsticks or with bare hands. To play the drums, the drummer holds it under his arm close to his chest and hits on the membranes in a strong or soft manner in order to produce different sounds or to mix sounds. Sometimes the drummer places one of his hands on the membrane while hitting with the drumstick in order to alter the sounds being produced. The talking drum is a relatively easy instrument to play because it does not necessarily require training. One can just learn and practice on his or her own without being under a teacher. However, most people who wish to learn the Yoruba talking drum always stay under a teacher in order to know about the history behind the drums.

The talking drum influenced a particular type of music unique to western Nigeria called Juju music. This Juju music is the most popular and most important type of music ever to come out of Nigeria. It is believed to have been started by the Yoruba musician, Tunde King in the 1920s.4 This music is a typical example of the polyrhythmic sounds that Nigerian music has to offer. Juju music is a sublime blend of African rhythms and vocal styles grafted onto a wall of sound produced by Euro-American instruments like electric guitars and synthesizers.[4] The interesting thing about Juju music is how it is fused with the talking drum. Juju music is a noisy kind of music but entertaining. It is mostly sung in the Yoruba language but people musicians have also inculcated the English language into their performances. Musicians like Paul I.K. Dairo and King Sunny Ade were able to propagate Juju music to the rest of the world, and their music was also influenced by jazz and rock music after the time of independence.

Continued...

---

[1]               Funke Osae-Brown, “Mystery of the Talking Drum,” Business Day Newspaper, 21 October 2010Web.

[2]               Samson Oluga and Halira Babalola, “Drummunication: The Trado-Indigenous Art of Communication with Talking Drums in Yorubaland.” Global Journalism of Human Social Science Arts & Humanities, Global Journals USA)

[3]               Terry E. Miller and Andrew Shahriari, “World Music, A Global Journey,” (New York and London: Routledge Talor and Francis Group, 2012)  Page 340 -345.

[4]               Michael Parrish, “Out of Africa,” The Chicago Tribune, April 22, 2000 Web

OUR "PROBLEMS" MAY NOT BE PROBLEMS

      Some days back I stumbled on a story of a boy who killed his mother for taking away his playstation rights. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/kendall-anderson-16-killed-mom-claw-hammer-playstation-court-article-1.139414  At first it sounded funny to me but on a second thought it made me realize how people see things as problems. The playstation was a problem big enough that required him to kill his mother in order to solve it. All over the world, people have different levels of problems that are different but in truth, some do not even qualify to be called problems.

      That you are able to afford a meal without having to worry about when your next meal will come means that you are better off than millions of people who cannot even afford clean water. We need to be grateful sometimes with what we have. There are many people who would give a whole lot to have at least 10% of what we have. On social networking sites, you see young people say things like, “I hate my life, I hate my parents because they did not buy me what I wanted for my birthday, my life is messed up.” This is pure ungratefulness because these people say these things for stupid reasons. You live in a house, pay no bills, you can afford three square meals a day, you have both parents still alive, and you open your mouth to say you hate your life? That is not a problem and one should not say those words. Have you ever heard of the lost boys of Sudan? No parents, no food, just themselves alone walking through the desert?

Children all over the world are dying everyday out of hunger and starvation, no roof over their heads. Sometimes we do not have the right to complain if things don’t go our way because some people out there need what we have more than we do.

      Sometimes I blame parents for always providing their children with everything they ask for. Needs are totally different from wants. Giving children everything they ask for can result in them being spoiled and not realizing it. Parents need to realize that saying no only helps mold their children into realizing that life is never a bed of roses. 

       We need to realize that people are suffering every day to make ends meet and that we should be happy that we are at least alive. Parents suffer every day to put roofs over our head and the best way to repay them is not to complain or expect more. Let us also recognize that people need some things we have more than we need them. It is good to give to the poor and needy. That is a good way to make the world a better place. Let’s reduce the way we complain and show more appreciation before it is too late.