Fontomfrom orchestra drums from Ashanti City-State; Department of Music Ethnology, Ethnological Museum of Berlin in Berlin of Germany.
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Classification | Hourglass-Shaped Drum |
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Inventor(s) | Ashanti people |
Builders | |
Ashanti people |
Fontomfrom is an Ashanti type of hourglass-shaped drum mostly used by an ensemble of Ashanti people to communicate Ashanti monarchy royal messages in an Ashanti people ethnic group setting. The Fontomfrom ensemble provides music for ceremonies honoring Ashanti chiefs and Ashanti monarchy royal processions. The Fontomfrom is also used to recite proverbs or replicate patterns of speech at most Ashanti monarchy royal gatherings or an Ashanti monarchy royal durbar.
The Fontomfrom evolved from the popular hourglass-shaped drum (talking drum) of the 7th century. Little after the evolution a few more non-hourglass shapes such as the Dunan, Sangban, Kenkeni and Ngoma drums were produced.