One must touch a drum before it will speak.
--A proverb from the Jabo peoples, who live in the country of Liberia.

Image Credit:
Drum, made by the Baga peoples of Guinea during the twentieth century. Made of wood, hide, and pigment.

Lent by the UCLA Fowler Museum 
of Cultural History, 
gift of Helen and Dr. Robert Kuhn, 
X86.1911; photograph by Don Cole.

In Africa people play drums to talk to their gods, , and ancestors and also to other people. The sound of the drum carries one message but there are also messages in its size, design, and . These messages are about politics, religion, and entertainment, among many other things.

Women among the Baga peoples used this drum. It gives messages in two different ways:

Women play the drum at their ceremonies, and its music lets everyone, including gods, spirits, ancestors, and neighbors, know that the women are having a ceremony.

The sculpture of the woman kneeling and holding up the drum tells people that women are strong and important and that they work hard.

Video and Audio Credit:
Skins was produced and directed by think jacobson & roth (croth@primenet.com), Lori Jacobson and Carla Roth, producers, Carla Roth, director and script development, Daniel Gillman, co-director, director of photography, editor and OID, Abby Schneider, location sound recordist and audio post-production, Ruthm V. Gillman, video graphics, Martin Rogers, gaffer, Brian Donnell, grip, Irene Lopez, location sound assistant, Eric Cyrs (Asha's Baba), griot, Eric Cyrs Jr., musician.

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