in different sizes and played using interlocking rhythms, which create a driving beat that's difficult to resist as the band marches through the streets. Delano noted European musical influences, since there is no call and response tradition within this genre. The drummers themselves are the singers. Influence The success of these amateur aṣíkò groups resulted in a number of them becoming full-time professional bands, which eventually entered the recording studios allowing them to reach a larger audience and become quite popular. Musicians such as A.B.O. Mabinuori, Amusa (otherwise known as 'Captain'), Jero, Tesilimi, Samu Egbo ("Samu Esu"), Ajayi Williams (alias "Ajayi Koboko") and Alabi Labilu are just a few of the most popular aṣíkò bandleaders. This syncretized music was the perfect match for the newly indoctrinated Christian converts of the day, because it incorporated "foreign" instruments with no ties to traditional religious practices; lyrical poetic song texts promoting Christianity over the òrìṣà (traditional religion) and the songs were sung in either Yoruba or Nigerian Pidgin English, which made them accessible to a large cross-section of the population. As the music grew in popularity the song texts began to change as well. By the late 1920s songs could be heard about important social events, historical events, current events and low-status occupations, like prostitution, etc. Nigerian musician Babatunde Olatunji incorporated many of these elements into his music. The samba rhythm was one of his favorites, heard on many of his albums. Much like the rhythm of James Brown identified him and his music; the samba rhythms identify the music of Olatunji. Typically, he did not use sets of drums, but rather created batteries of drums. For instance, atsimevu, djembe, congas and dunun would be played together. In the latter part of his career he also introduced a drum, now identified with him, the Boku drum from Cuba, under the name aṣíkò (ashiko). For most American drummers this is the ashiko drum, as opposed to the hand held relative of the Spanish Pandeiro. In light of his Yoruba origins and Christian upbringing, it all makes sense. As we look at his recordings we see everything from songs like Bethlehemu to Shango and from Sahara Samba to Mbira which features, not Mbira as we know it but rather, a Cuban style Marimbula or Agidigbo as it is known in Nigeria. See also Sakara drum Aṣíkò drum References Bibliography Howard, Joseph H., 1982. Drums. Self-published