check this out...some of the best ghanaian music i've heard, played by koonimo. i'll be living at his house for around two weeks studying the atumpan (pronounced eh-toom-PAH-een), the talking drum of southern ghana (whose tones correspond exactly, note to syllable, with the Twi language of the Ashanti people, and thus is capable, literally, of speaking). koonimo is a legend of palm wine guitar, the style of music represented here on recording.
i'm in the northern region of ghana now, where i've decided to spend the other two weeks of my month-long independent research project. i'll be comparing the talking drum of southern ghana (atumpan) and the talking drum of the north (dondo).