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Chapter One. The Material Background |
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ceremonial beating of log-gong, ritual contexts |
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A gong was beaten on various ceremonial occasions. There was no "drum language" of the African type, but specific rhythms served to announce a limited number of events: the death of a chief, the capture of a head, and the celebration of certain rituals. Usually the gong was beaten by a company of twelve to sixteen, with a leader who wielded two heavy wooden pestles, two soloists using one pestle each, and the rest of the players, each using one pestle, hitting the wooden gong in unison. |
