The Talking Drum: An Inquiry into the Reach of a Traditional Mode of Communication

Abstract

The talking drums are important instruments of communication in Traditional African society which serve as the voice of the whole community and communicate the aggregate of their desires. The talking drums are fashioned to enhance grassroots mobilization for developmental needs of the society. This paper undertakes a hermeneutical study of the talking drums in Africa. It argues that besides the understanding of the talking drums as instruments of communication, they can be regarded as living beings. Furthermore, the paper discusses the role of the talking drums as personified entity in African society. The paper states that traditional methods of communication must be revived in order to give room for a free flow of information which is indispensable for any development to shrive.