The prohibition of drums among enslaved Africans was intended to prevent communication and rebellion. Instead, these bans fueled an evolution that gave birth to new forms of music.
Music became a means of resistance and cultural preservation.
It showcases the resilience of African people and the blending of different cultures to create an American music history loaded with African-American influences.
Music genres such as jazz, blues, and gospel became an expression of identity for many Black Americans and Black musicians, specifically.
(1) Reasons for the DRUM Ban
Communication
Drums were an effective means of communication among enslaved Africans.
In many African cultures, drums were used for music and to send complex messages over long distances.
Enslaved people could use drumming to communicate and organize. However, plantation owners and colonial authorities prohibited using drums because of the fear of insurrection.
Cultural Suppression
The ban on drums was also part of a broader strategy to suppress African cultural practices and identities.
The djembe, a West African drum, is renowned for its unique shape and dynamic sound.
Made from hollowed-out hardwood and covered with animal skin, it is played with the hands and produces a range of sounds, from deep bass to sharp slaps.
Its complex beats are vital to West African cultural practices, facilitating communication, storytelling, and community unity.
The djembe's rhythms can be slow for ceremonial dances or fast for lively celebrations.
The musical ensemble of the chief of Abetifi (Kwahu people) c. 1890 - Republic of Ghana, West Africa.
By forbidding drumming, enslavers aimed to sever the enslaved people's connections to their African heritage, traditions, and social cohesion, making them easier to control and assimilate into the imposed culture.
Fear of Unity
Drumming sessions were communal events that united enslaved Africans, fostering unity and shared identity.
Enslavers feared that such gatherings could lead to uprisings, and the communal aspect of drumming threatened the divisive tactics employed to maintain control.
(2) Historical Context and Impact
THE STONO REBELLION
One of the most notable instances of rebellion that contributed to the fear of African drumming was the Stono Rebellion in 1739 in the colony of South Carolina.
Enslaved Africans used drums to communicate and coordinate their actions during the uprising.
In response to this and similar events, colonies, and territories implemented laws restricting drumming and other forms of African cultural expression.
THE NEGRO ACT OF 1740
After the Stono Rebellion, officials in South Carolina enacted the Negro Act of 1740. This act restricted enslaved Africans from growing their own crops, making money, and learning how to read.
It also barred them from assembling and using drums, horns, or other loud instruments.
The regulations set forth by the Negro Act, such as the prohibition on drums, were soon adopted throughout the United States.
THE LEGACY OF AFRICAN DRUMMING
The ban on drums profoundly impacted the development of African American music.
Deprived of their traditional instruments, enslaved Africans and their descendants adapted by finding new ways to make music and preserve their heritage.
This led to the development of body percussion, such as hand clapping and stomping, and other African musical instruments, such as the banjo, which has African origins.
These adaptations contributed to the evolution of African American music genres, including spirituals, blues, and jazz. Also, transforming religious music and dance music.
Despite these oppressive measures, African Americans continued to use music as a form of resistance, communication, and cultural preservation.
The legacy of African drumming, with its rhythms and communal significance, lived on and evolved, deeply influencing the music and culture of the African diaspora in the Americas.
(3) Drum Bans in Other Regions
Drum bans for Africans and their descendants were not exclusive to North America.
Similar prohibitions occurred in other parts of the New World where Africans were enslaved.
These bans were part of broader efforts by colonial powers and enslavers to suppress African cultural expressions, prevent communication among enslaved people, and thwart potential rebellions.
Here are a few examples:
Caribbean
In the Caribbean, enslaved Africans were brought to work on sugar plantations and in other forms of forced labor.
European colonial authorities were keenly aware of the potential for drums and other African instruments to serve as tools for communication and unity among the enslaved population.
As a result, drum bans were placed on various islands to prevent these gatherings and reduce the risk of insurrection.
Brazil
Brazil, which received the largest number of enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade, also experienced similar restrictions.
The country has a rich African heritage, and music played a significant role in the cultural and religious lives of enslaved Africans and their descendants.
However, colonial and later Brazilian authorities periodically attempted to suppress African-derived musical practices, including drumming.
This was particularly true when music was associated with Candomblé and other African-originated religious practices, which were also often prohibited or tightly controlled.
French Colonies
In French colonies such as Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti), which had a significant population of enslaved Africans, there were fears of rebellion stoked by the communication potential of drums.
In August 1791, a coordinated and successful uprising among enslaved Africans began, initiating a twelve-year struggle for human rights.
This revolution led to the creation of Haiti, the New World's first free state governed by Black people.
Fears of similar uprisings led to further restrictions on African cultural practices in other colonies.
These bans had a global impact on music and culture.
(4) The Birth of New Musical Forms
Body Percussion and Vocal Techniques
Deprived of their traditional drums, enslaved Africans and their descendants turned to body percussion—clapping, stomping, and patting—using different parts of their bodies to make sounds and rhythms.
They also used vocal techniques like call-and-response and field hollers to maintain their musical traditions.
These practices laid the groundwork for jazz's rhythmic complexity and vocal styles.
With the ban on drums, enslaved Africans and their descendants turned to their bodies as instruments.
Clapping, stomping, and patting juba (a form of dance and percussion) became vital means of musical expression.
This form of body percussion was a substitute for the banned drums and a powerful statement of resilience and resistance.
The rhythms created through body percussion were complex and deeply rooted in African traditions, carrying the essence of African music through generations.
Use of Alternative Instruments
The ban on drums pushed African Americans to adapt and innovate with available materials and instruments.
With its African origins, the banjo and other percussion instruments, such as the washboard, became integral to early jazz ensembles.
These instruments contributed to jazz music's distinctive sound and rhythm.
With its origins in African stringed instruments, the banjo became a bridge between African musical traditions and the new world of American music.
THE OLD PLANTATION, possibly 1785–1795. Location: Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Williamsburg, Virginia.
The Old Plantation depicts two male musicians, with one playing what appears to be an early version of a gourd banjo, marking it as the oldest painting known to feature a banjo. The other musician is seen playing a percussion instrument similar to the Yoruba gudugudu.
Other instruments, such as the washboard and the jug, were also incorporated into the evolving soundscape, each adding unique textures and rhythms.
These instruments allowed African American musicians to continue exploring rhythm and melody, laying the groundwork for jazz's later development.
(5) The Development of Jazz
African rhythms became a cornerstone of jazz.
Drawing inspiration from their African roots, jazz musicians utilized rhythm to craft deeply emotional and communicative music.
The impact of African rhythms is also evident in jazz's focus on improvisation.
Like African music, which often includes on-the-spot creation within a group, jazz musicians improvise, creating a musical dialogue between themselves and their listeners. This improvisation, built on the complex rhythms passed down from African traditions, creates a lively and constantly changing musical experience.
How did the banning of drums shape the development of jazz?
The lack of drums didn't lessen the impact of African rhythms on music. The innovation in musical expression through body percussion and new instruments, coupled with the rhythmic complexity and influence of African rhythms, has been instrumental in the development of jazz.
These elements reflect the ingenuity and resilience of African American musicians in preserving their cultural heritage while creating something entirely new.
With its deep roots in African musical traditions, jazz stands as a testament to the power of music to adapt, evolve, and transcend barriers, embodying the spirit of creativity and resistance.
This complexity became a defining feature of jazz, showcased through its distinctive syncopation, swing, and improvisation.
(6) Cultural and Social Impact
Music as a Form of Resistance and Communication
Even when drums were removed, music didn't lose its power. For African Americans, it remained a powerful way to resist unjust treatment, share messages, and unite people.
They preserved their heritage through song, rhythm, and dance. Music became not just a means of survival but a declaration of identity and freedom that echoed through generations.
Influence on Other Musical Genres
The creativity from not having drums led to new sounds, which later inspired other music styles, such as blues, gospel, jazz, rock and roll, and hip-hop.
All these types of music are connected, returning to the musical traditions that African Americans kept alive from their African roots.
While intended to suppress and control, the banning of drums among enslaved Africans inadvertently catalyzed a remarkable journey of musical evolution and cultural resilience.
Moreover, the ban led to the adoption and adaptation of new instruments. With its origins in African stringed instruments, the banjo became a symbol of African American music, evolving into a key component of jazz, blues, and other genres.
This journey of musical evolution demonstrates how attempts to suppress can instead lead to innovation.
The legacy of African musical traditions, preserved and transformed by African Americans, remains a testament to the power of music to transcend barriers, connect communities, and celebrate the human spirit.
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By Cynthia D. Smith
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