IYA ILU DUNDUN TALKING DRUM
[1,2]: IYA ILU DUNDUN TALKING DRUM
[3]: A woman expertly plays the iya ilu dundun, bucking traditional convention that only men should play (from a documentary)
[4]: Legendary Nigerian musician King Sunny Adé explains the talking drum
[5]: A different dundun drum with a wide, colorful asooke strap
[6-8]: Excerpts from a printout from the “Drums of the Yoruba of Nigeria” vinyl record
[9]: Making a dundun drum (from a documentary)
[10]: Record cover of “Drums of the Yoruba of Nigeria”
From: Yoruba culture (Oyo Empire), Nigeria 🇳🇬Source [1,2]: @meisterdrucke
Source [3,9]: “THE TALKING DRUM _IYA ILU- the history, the making, the importance…” by April 7th Studios on YouTube
Source [4]: @samplechief
Source [5]: @smithsonian_africanart
Source [6-8,10]: “Drums of the Yoruba of Nigeria” on @internetarchive, 1956
Source notes [5]: This instrument is considered the most important drum by the Yoruba, who call it iya, literally, "the mother." It is played in almost any situation that requires music, mimicking spoken Yoruba speech tones. The varying sounds are obtained by holding the drum under the arm and squeezing the tension strings while striking the membrane with a curved stick. The bells also add sound. Wood hourglass shaped double headed drum with hide tension strings, running from head to head, completely surrounding the entire body of the drum. Shoulder strap and two support straps are made of locally woven striped cotton cloth. Locally cast and imported brass bells hang from support straps.Observations: material harmony, formal and visual contrast, material intelligence, user-driven design, considering connections, element of play within use; sound and movement spark delight and encourage interaction, multipurpose design and intuitive use (tuners as handles).