membrane drum, gàlé, drum trio

Drum system used by the Nupe people of Nigeria, described in Blench (2010). The instrument itself (gàlé in Nupe) is a set of three pitched membrane drums “consisting of empty, cylindrical kerosene-tins with one end removed… ca. 60 cm. tall and 30 cm. in diameter” (Blench 2010:9). The three drums are arranged in a semi-circle in front of a single performer; typically, the gàlé is accompanied by a smaller membrane drum (enyà daba) on the drummer’s lap. As a set, the drums are struck with two wooden beaters, or one hand and one beater. Each of the larger drums is tuned to a distinct pitch, though the precise intervals are not fixed (9).The language is tonal, with L, M, and H register tones, as well phonemic falling and rising contours (4).Writing generally about Nupe surrogate language, Blench says: “instrumental performance is characterised as a type of speech since instruments can imitate speech tones and thus ‘say’ things” (8). About the gàlé: “the relative pitches [of the three drums must] be sufficiently distinct to allow of speech imitations” (9). The gàlé is the core instrument in the àngàlé drum ensemble “used to accompany celebratory dances” (9).

Blench, R. (2010). Oral literature genres of the Nupe of Central Nigeria. Kay Williamson Educational Foundation. rogerblench.info.