Have you ever heard of an instrument talking? The Mangbetu slit drum is perhaps better described by its other name, the talking drum. The Mangbetu language is tonal and the drum is able to play different tones. Players are able to use the drum to mimic different tones and pitches used in the language. This means that the players can communicate through playing the drum. Drums communicate many types of important information in a community, such as births or deaths.
The Mangbetu are one of a group of African cultures that make slit drums. The slit drum is made from a block of wood. First the maker cuts the slit and then uses a special tool to carve out the inside. The final result is a hollowed out block with two sides of different thickness. These unequal sides allow the drum to produce different tones and pitches when it is played. Other groups throughout the Congo also create slit drums. Though their production and uses have many similarities, these drums come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
Teacher-Made Slit Drum Lesson Plan- 5th Grade ELA by Stacey Kelley
This website provides examples of other slit drums used throughout the Congo Basin. Additionally, it provides more detailed information on the social roles of drummers and how drums are used to communicate.
Spirits of Defiance: the Mangbetu People- YouTube
This is a video documentary on Mangbetu that focuses specifically on the practice of drumming.
(Note: this documentary is PG13.)
No Drums Allowed: Afro-Rhythm Mutations in North America- Medium
At various places and times, drumming has been outlawed in enslaved communities throughout the Americas. This article and the videos in it discuss the relationships between drumming in Black communities across the Atlantic world and how these relationships were used to resist enslavement.
