ABOUT THE
kpanlogo
This page contains information about the Irie Tones kpanlogo, one of
our peg drums. Although we don't claim that it is exhaustive, we hope
it gives you a solid basic understanding of your instrument. If you need
clarification or have something you feel would be useful to add, please
contact us. We'd be happy to help!
Irie
Tones Kpanlogo Features
Colors
All of our kpanlogo drums come treated with multiple coats of palm
oil. This enhances the natural beauty of the wood grain, protects the
wood from scratches and abrasions, and hydrates the wood to seal up
small, naturally occuring cracks and prevent future cracking in dry
climates.
Carvings
Our kpanlogo drums are decorated with beautiful, detailed relief carvings
of traditional African adinkra symbols. These symbols are visual representations
of social, religious, and moral attitudes and beliefs of the Akan people
of Ghana and Ivory Coast. Around these symbols you'll find various geometric
patterns as well. The adinkra symbols that are carved onto our kpanlogos
are generally any two of the following:
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NYAME BIRIBI WO SORO |
| "God is in the heavens" |
| A symbol of hope. A reminder that God's dwelling place is in the
heaven, where he can listen to all prayers. |
 |
NKONSONKONSON |
| "chain link" |
| A symbol of unity and human relations. A reminder to contribute
to the community, that in unity lies strength. |
 |
BI NKA BI |
| "No one should bite the other" |
| A symbol of peace and harmony. This symbol cautions against provocation
and strife. The image is based on two fish biting each other tails.
|
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ESE NE TEKREMA |
| "the teeth and the tongue" |
| A symbol of friendship and interdependence. The teeth and the
tongue play interdependent roles in the mouth. They may come into
conflict, but they need to work together. |
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HYE WON HYE |
| "that which does not burn " |
A symbol of imperishability and endurance. This symbol gets its
meaning from traditional priests that were able to walk on fire
without burning their feet, an inspiration to others to endure and
overcome difficulties.
|
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NYAME NWU NA MAWU |
| "if Nyame (God) dies, then so do I" |
| A symbol of eternal perspective and perpetual existence.
God is immortal and life giving; as God cannot cease to exist, neither
can I. |
Skins
The kpanlogo is traditionally made with a shaved antelope or calf
skin head, which is what our kpanlogos come with by default. These skins
are thick, strong, and comfortable to play. The drum carvers will use
which ever skin is more plentiful in the local markets at the time of
export. Calf and antelope skin sound almost identical.
Special Order kpanlogos
Larger or smaller size kpanlogos can be purchased on special order.
You can place an order at any time, allowing 3 to 5 weeks for delivery.
If you are interested in getting custom carvings or other unique features
don't hesitate to ask.
How
To Play Your Kpanlogo
Position and Technique - The kpanlogo is played from
a seated position, with the drum between the legs and angled away from
the lap slightly. The kpanlogo can be played using the djembe or conga
techniques, but the Ewe have a playing technique unique to the kpanlogo.
There are five basic sounds which are all combined to create the unique
kpanlogo sound:
Bass - cup the hand with the fingers firm and close
together, bounce off the center of the head
Tone - strike the head with the index finger, the 3rd
knuckle making contact with the rim of the drum
Slap - strike the head with firm fingers, the top of
the palm making contact with the rim
Mute - with firm finger tips strike the drum. This
sound should be "dead", without a tone
Muted Slap - place one open hand on the drum head and
"slap" with the other, creating a high pitched crack.
If you watch an experienced adowa or kpanlogo player you'll notice that
they raise and lower the drum with their legs as they play. This changes
the volume of the bass and tones, allowing the player greater versatility
in creating the complex intonations and phrases common to Ewe music.
Caution - Although antelope skin is very durable, we
do not recommend playing your kpanlogo with a beater.
How To Care for and
Maintain Your Kpanlogo
- Transport and Exposure - Although your drum is very
durable you should avoid exposing it to the elements (direct sunlight,
extreme heat or cold, dampness, rain, snow, etc.). Also avoid rapidly
moving the drum from one heat or humidity extreme to another. If you
need to take your kpanlogo to a different altitude you don't need to
worry about loosening it like you would a high-tension drum such as
a djembe; the verticals are already loose enough to allow variation
with harming the head.
- Cleaning - Your kpanlogo may be cleaned with a damp
cloth, but don’t apply cleansing agents or other cleaning tools.
Avoid playing with dirty hands or leaving your drum exposed to sand
or soil.
- Maintenance - Under normal circumstances your kpanlogo
skin does not require any oils or leather treatment to keep it in shape;
the oil from your hands should be sufficient. If you need to replace
any of the pegs you can find them on our website.
How To Peg Tune Your Kpanlogo
With a wooden dowel softly strike the end of the peg until you achieve
the desired pitch. Vigorous playing can cause the pitch to drop slightly,
so just give the pegs a few light taps to raise the pitch again. Do
not attempt to strike the pegs with a metal hammer or at an angle. If
you need to replace a peg you'll find them on our website.
Brief
History of the Kpanlogo Drum
The Kpanlogo drum is the traditional instrument of the
Ewe tribes around the Volta and Western regions of Ghana. Kpanlogo ensembles
consist of many sizes and varieties of this drum, along with shekeres
and metal chimes. The conga-like shape and peg-tuned head make for a
beautiful looking and great sounding instrument.
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