The Story Behind the Drums of Senegal Proposal in 1994 1.  The Project I intended to spend three to five months in West Africa researching the drumming techniques and performance practices in the drumming communities of Sénégal.   The objectives were to record and transcribe drum music, photograph the instruments while under construction and during performance, as well as document the drumming practices throughout the seven principal regions of the country.  Still photographs and video footage was to be the primary means of documentation on site.  Interviews, commentaries, and music was recorded on Digital Audio Tape.  An important part of this research is to acquire as many drum examples as possible. The African culture is full of long standing rituals, ceremonies and celebrations that require specific music.  The traditional rhythms and practices surrounding them are slowly being cast aside for contemporary technology and western instrumentation.  Although contemporary advances in home construction, power and heat generation, transportation, and contemporary entertainment sources are an expected reality in modern society, many of the older forms of entertainment are being abandoned or happen with less frequency.  The drum is still found in all regions and is used in a majority of the activities.  The national government is reducing its support of folkloric activities.  The world organization, UNESCO is involved in an ongoing project to record music and dance traditions around the world.  This project may prove to be helpful to each of them. As the principal researcher, I established a home base in the village (town) of Kaolack, Sénégal.  From there we were able to travel through the southern part of the country including the Casamance region.  A second base of operation was established just outside of Dakar, the capital of Sénégal.  From this location, we worked with the Lebu people, the first population encountered by the European explorers when they landed at this section of the African continent.  From this location we were able to reach the north and eastern regions of the country including St. Louis, the first colonial capital of Sénégal.  Many festivals occurs between the months of January and May.  Seasonal rituals such as circumcisions and female initiations occur in May and June when school is out  of session.  In order to observe these and others, it is necessary to be in the country while the events are in progress since for many of these activities, the music is not openly practiced at any other time.   Fellow artist,Omar Thiam served as liaison between myself and representatives from the many regions visited.  Mr. Thiam is principle artist at the Centre Cultural de Kaolack. He agreed to assist in the project for the duration of my original stay in Sénégal.  He is a well respected artist in his country and has traveled around the world representing Sénégal as a performer.  He is also involved in the research and preservation of the drumming culture.  Over the past visits to Sénégal I have established relationships with several other native performers in the United States and Sénégal, and, I have their full cooperation with this project.  By working with these individuals in the United States and Sénégal, I have already been able to make contact with master musicians and dancers from many regions. 2.  RESEARCH OBJECTIVES  My personal objective is to capture the performing techniques, physical, psychological and metaphysical concepts surrounding the drums of Sénégal, with video, audio and physical samples of the drums and their use in the culture.  The long range objective could be conceived as grandiose.  I would like to propose the idea of a museum dedicated to African drumming to the Smithsonian, or perhaps another museum in this country.  This would be a major resource for researchers and scholars of African Music.  This project is only the beginning.