membrane drum, tsari, drum trio

Drum system used by the Nupe people of Nigeria, described in Blench (2010). The instrument itself (tsari in Nupe) is a set of three wooden cylindrical membrane drums with two drumheads “ca. 30 cm. in diameter...and 50-60 cm. tall” (Blench 2010:24). The three drums are arranged upright in a semi-circle in front of a single performer. As a set, the drums are struck with two wooden beaters. Each of the larger drums is tuned to a distinct pitch.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 tsari: “pitch contrasts can be used to ‘speak’ various rhythms and praises” during boxing matches, as well as “proverbial challenges taunting the audience to fight” (24).

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