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|b This paper centers on the work of a drummer caste of northern Ghana whose main function is entertaining, educating and informing the Local populace. Dagomba drummers are cultural performers who compose praise epithets (also called "names") for their patrons. A praise epithet or names could be as simple as a single word or noun phrase, a sentence, or a whole passage. The drummers presents a metaphor of Life, one that mirrors the goings on in the society. As cultural commentators and historians, these drummers pursue a means of Livelihood by drumming at functions and being rewarded by patrons; they also act as tradition bearers in their keeping of the oral histories of the ethnic group. A praise names usually encodes a history that gave it birth. This paper is thus one such attempt at telling the story behind some praise names. Praise uttering and singing, known as salima, is an integral part of the customs and traditions of the Dagomba and their sister ethnic groups (Mam-prusi and Nanumba) of Northern Ghana. Salimameans "stories", "praises" or "eulogies." These societies are patriarchal in nature, with the chief occupy¬ing a central, pivotal position in the daily Life of the community. A reigning chief is seen as a reincarnation of his ancestors, whose exploits are used to praise him or her. People trace ancestral trees, with lineages sometimes spanning centuries, and feel a sense of pride to be associated with a venerable king. The praise names used in the drummers' songs encode these family histories. The singer has an opening and a closing formula and intersperses his story with addresses directed to his present, as well as legendary historical, audiences. He uses transition markers, Like "di ka la dabaayiniata" (Literally: It was not quite two days or three, i.e. not Long afterward) to both show continuity in his narration and indicate a new phase of the story. This is a feature of oral genres, where episodes are marked by time devices (when, then). These also give room for the narrator to quip in comments. These transition markers guide the audience through the narration. The conjunctions such as "and" and "then" are the most frequent. The use of the progressive tense also gives us a sense of motion during the duel. The bard makes use of kinship terms to accomplish personal address and to also identify with the story. Reference is made to ancestors, grandfathers, son, mother, wife, and the use of in-group language. The narrator integrates himself into the plot, utilizing inclusive address terms, "my lord", "and our grandfather", "our King". He also purposely uses the second person possessive pronoun "your" when he refers to King Luro (For example: "Your grandfather Luro") to make his patron feel he is the heir to the glory that ancestor of his brought to the Dagbon Kingdom.
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