ENTITY · CULTURAL PRACTICE
Burru drumming
Well supported
Burru, an African-derived Kingston hand-drumming tradition carried in yards and at Christmas masquerade, which fed directly into Rastafari Nyabinghi drumming through Count Ossie's Wareika Hills camp and shaped the pulse of later Jamaican music.
At a glance
- Type
- cultural practice
- Confidence
- Well supported
- Era
- Open era →
Connections
Debate & reception
How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →
debate
Rastafari drumming on the airwaves: cult menace or authentic spirituality?
Two documented positions on Rastafari drumming and imagery reaching the public in the ska era: to wary establishment opinion it read as a subversive, threatening cult sound, while to its defenders it was an authentic African-Jamaican spiritual expression that deserved a place in the nation's music. Neutral framing; no verdict. Sources: David Katz, Solid Foundation; Verena Reckord writings; Jamaica Gleaner archive.
Stance: Rasta drumming and imagery as subversive cult menace vs authentic African-Jamaican spiritual expression