A Drummer's Testament

Chapter II-26:  Drummers' Medicines

Drummers and medicine; the life of Alhaji Adam Mangulana; gandu, zambaŋa, teeli, etc.; jealousy among drummers; an example of the use of kabrɛ at a drum history performance

• Paragraph outline and links
• Proverbs and sayings
• Dagbani words and other search terms

Contents outline and links by paragraph

Introduction

• 1.    many drummers use medicine; some are bukpahinima; many medicine in the family
• 2.    John's medicine from Alhaji Adam an old thing in Alhaji Adam's family
• 3.    John now has that medicine's name and can pass it on

Comparing medicine to learning Baŋgumaŋa

• 4.    medicine not given free; a sacrifice; medicine man can determine its extent
• 5.    cannot question the medicine man about the sacrifice; killing a sheep to learn Baŋgumaŋa
• 6.    the sheep's meat shared inside the family; compare to the sacrifices done by Nyolugu Lun-Naa Issahaku and Alhassan Kpɛma
• 7.    the sacrifice must be there in some form
• 8.    the sacrifice or payment is respect from the one looking for medicine or knowledge

Drummer's medicines

• 9.    Alhaji Ibrahim does not have medicine, but drum itself is medicine, can protect
• 10.  drummers have medicine to protect themselves; good medicines are also there

Alhaji Adam Mangulana and medicine

• 11.  Alhaji Adam has drummers' medicines and maalams' medicines; long life
• 12.  Dagbon's oldest drummer; description of his greatness in his youth
• 13.  most of his friends are dead; his friend Palo-Naa still alive; the others are dead
• 14.  Alhaji Adam's friend with warizuɣu medicine

How drummers use medicine against one another

• 15.  jealous drummers can use kabrɛ; Issa Maachɛndi's brother
• 16.  Issa's use of medicine for protection
• 17.  drummers use medicine to get drumming chieftaincy
• 18.  Tamale drummers do not have chieftaincy; not the same as other towns; many Tamale drummers do not have knowledge
• 19.  drummers use kabrɛ; protect themselves with muhili; bi tɔro kaŋkparambi to make somebody choke
• 20.  use of medicine against grave-diggers
• 21.  drummers use kabrɛ to tie another drummer who bluffs or who takes someone's place at Samban' luŋa
• 22.  example:  how Gukpeogu Lun-Naa tied Duɣu Lun-Naa at Samban' luŋa

Medicines to help drummers

• 23.  zambaŋa and zamban' nuchee; quick hands like cat
• 24.  gaŋdu:  make drumming stand out; balgiri
• 25.  gaŋdu the senior medicine for drumming; has other types for respect
• 26.  how Alhaji Adam was loved because of medicine
• 27.  bɛ yum'ma also for drummers; paɣ' di duɣi
• 28.  how gaŋdu helps drummers
• 29.  zambaŋa can make someone's hand too fast
• 30.  Alhaji Ibrahim does not use medicine because his drumming is good; medicine already in the family; example:  his son Fatawu; also in Alhaji Mumuni's house, no medicine
• 31.  many drummers do not use medicine
• 32.  medicine to give drummer stamina

Teeli

• 33.  remembering; used by singers of Samban' luŋa
• 34.  use of animals to make teeli
• 35.  how teeli is made
• 36.  how teeli is used; should be used for a reason

Conclusion

• 47.  end of talk about drummers' medicine

Proverbs and Sayings

You don't give the medicine for free.

If some work wants something big, you can get something small to stand for the big thing.

There are some sorts of money which you see and then refuse to spend.

Medicine doesn't show itself.

If you get medicine from somebody, you don't have to be showing people that you have got medicine.

Friendship or brotherhood does not collect medicine for free.

A drum itself is medicine: it is medicine that is like custom.

If a drum is in your armpit, it can protect you.

“Dim pa taali”:  taali n-nyɛ li.

“It doesn't matter”:  it matters.

You do work so that people will be looking at you.

Drumming is inside the family, and so it is an inheritance.

Dagbani words and other search terms

• Medicines mentioned
• balgiri
• be yum' ma  (bɛ yum' ma)
• bi toro kankparambi  (bi tɔro kaŋkparambi)
• gandu  (gaŋdu)
• kabrɛ
• muhili
• pag' di dugi  (paɣ' di duɣi)
• teeli
• warizugu  (warizuɣu)
• zamban' nuchee  (zambaŋ' nuchee)
• zambanga  (zambaŋa)

• Persons and titles
• Abdulai  (drummer from Chaŋni)
• Adam Lumbila  (Alhaji Adam Alhassan)
• Alhaji Adam (Alhassan Mangulana)
• Alhassan Abukari
• Alhassan  (Ibrahim)
• Alhassan Kpema  Alhassan Kpɛma
• Choggo-Naa
• Dimabi Lun-Naa
• Dugu  (Duɣu)
• Dugu Lun-Naa  (Duɣu Lun-Naa)
• Fatawu  (Ibrahim)
• Gukpe-Naa
• Gukpe-Naa Alhassan
• Gukpeogu Lun-Naa
• Ibrahim Lumbila
• Iddrisu  (Maachɛndi)
• Issa  (Maachɛndi)
• Koforidua  (Mumuni)
• Lun-Naa
• Lun-Zoo-Naa Abukari
• Maachendi  (Maachɛndi)
• Mohamadu  (Neena)
• Mumuni  (Abdulai)
• Mumuni  (Koforidua)
• Nyolugu Lun-Naa Issahaku
• Palo-Naa
• Sampahi-Naa
• Savelugu Palo-Naa
• Sheni  (Mba Sheni / Fuseini Alhassan)
• Tampion Sampahi-Naa
• Zohi-Taha-Naa  Zɔhi-Taha-Naa

• Miscellaneous and musical terms
• Bangumanga  (Baŋgumaŋa)
• calabash
• chieftaincy, chieftaincies
• gungon  (guŋgɔŋ)
• horsehead
• kasigirba  (kasiɣirba)
• kulnang  (kulŋaŋ)
• lunga  (luŋa)
• maalam, maalams
• maha
• nantoo
• nmaanchee  (ŋmaanchee)
• paragachia
• Samban' luŋa
• timchibra

• Proverbs
• Dim pa taali,  taali n-nye li  (Dim pa taali,  taali n-nyɛ li)

• Towns and places
• Changni  (Chaŋni)
• Choggo
• Dagbon
• Diari
• Dimabi
• Gukpeogu
• Kanvili
• Karaga
• Koforidua
• Korli
• Kumbungu
• Mion
• Nanton
• Nyolugu
• Savelugu
• Tampion
• Yelizoli
• Yendi

• Cultural groups
• Dagbamba
• Dagbana
• Hausa