Customer Reviews

When the Drummers Were Women: A Spiritual History of Rhythm

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Throughout history, music and rhythm have been used in religious ritual, to bring human beings into the ecstasy of the divine presence, by whatever name that has been called at any given time. And, specifically, rhythm was prevalent in the ancient Goddess religions of the Mediterranean. I never realized, until I read _When the Drummers Were Women_, how many of the Goddess traditions included sacred drumming. But it's right there--Cybele's devotees ate and drank from drums and cymbals, Inanna was given drum music as an offering, and votive figures of drumming women have been found in many places. It's like what I've heard happens when a woman gets pregnant--all of a sudden, she sees pregnant women everywhere. Not because there are more pregnant women than there were before, but because her focus has changed. Layne Redmond gives us a new focus--percussion--and suddenly we're able to see the pattern of rhythmic ecstasy that ran through many of these rituals, which many of us hadn't noticed before. And she also suggests drumming as a way to the divine today, and emphasizes that drums were not always seen as "masculine" instruments as they are seen today. Are they seen as masculine? Ask me, ask any woman who played percussion as a young girl. A lot of weird looks still follow a female drummer. But that's changing, thanks to prominent female drummers like Redmond.

Why not five stars? I think it's a personal issue of mine. I've read a lot of "history of the Goddess" books in my life, and at this point I'm heartily sick of reading about the matriarchy and its suppression by the patriarchy. This isn't Redmond's fault, it's mine. But this book contains the exact same story arc I've seen many times before, the very same oversimplified history. (The best three-dimensional account I've seen of this theme is Baring and Cashford's _The Myth of the Goddess. Other writers' tellings of this story come off as too sweepingly general after the Baring/Cashford book.) It's up to you whether the drumming angle justifies buying another book about the matriarchy/patriarchy story. For me, it was justified, because I am interested in Demeter, Persephone, and Dionysos, and got some new information about their rites from Redmond's book. It's the big question to ask yourself before buying this book.

RE: simplistic feminist fluff??? Someone has a problem with successful women!!!

Let's get some facts about Layne Redmond down here:

Drum! Magazine readers (a rocker's mag, predominately read by young males) in 2002 voted Layne Redmond Percussionist of the Year, her album Trance Union, Percussion Album of the Year and her video, Rhythmic Wisdom, Percussion Video of the Year. In 2003 they once again voted Trance Union, Percussion Album of the Year. In 2003 the editorial staff of Drum! listed Layne Redmond as one of the 53 Heavyweight Drummers Who Made A Difference in the 90's, along with drummers like Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, Zakir Hussain, Elvin Jones and Micky Hart. By the way, she is the only woman on this list. Drum! Mag readers are well known for being into simplistic feminist fluff!

She was the first woman to have a Signature Series of world percussion instruments with Remo, Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers of percussion instruments. She has been a soloist at the Touch Festival in Berlin, Seattle Bumbershoot Festival, the Institute for Contemporary Art in London, Tambores do Mundo in Brazil, the 1995 World Wide Percussion Festival in Brazil, and the Vienna International Percussion Festival in 2001. In Nov. 2004 she'll give a scholarly paper on Ancient Greek Percussion and also a hands on clinic, fusing Middle Eastern and Brazilian rhythms for tambourine, at the Percussive Arts Societies International Conference (PASIC 2004). Another group of people well known for their simplistic feminist fluff leanings.

In terms of her spiritual connection to the frame drum she has taught or lectured at Andover Newton Theological School, Hartford Seminary, the Unitarian Conference, St. Catherine's College in St. Paul and the Jewish Renewal center, Elayt Chayyim -- well known for their feminist fluff leanings.

I came across Layne Redmond in my research for my doctoral thesis on ancient music back in 1994 and have followed her career with interest ever since, actually writing a number of articles about her work. Her book, When The Drummers Were Women is invaluable, no where else are the images of the ancient Mediterranean women drummers held in a collection. Only a drummer of her depth and skill could have gleamed as much information from the ancient images of drummers as she did. I was fortunate to hear her lecture and perform at PASIC 2000 on Ancient Egyptian Percussion and I was also able to attend one of her rituals with the Mob of Angels in a cave in upstate New York along with 750 other men, women, and children. I don't think anyone there thought they were participating in light feminist fluff.

Her new cd, Invoking the Muse, shows how beautifully she has used her ancient research and her writing skills as a source for the creation of nine sophisticated, brilliant compositions, performed by some of the most successful and popular musicians in contemporary classical, jazz and world music. As for her writing as Library Journal put it: "Well documented, with an excellent bibliography, this multifaceted study will have great appeal for all readers . . " I recommend her website: www.LayneRedmond.com, a really a great resource and I'll let the New York Times wind this review up:

Layne Redmond is a superb percussionist!
The New York Times, James R. Oestreich, 1991

Redmond's thesis is quite fascinating, and it is wonderful to see this area of oft-overlooked women's spirituality and religion come to light. However, I was a little disappointed in the writing of this book, finding it straying too far from the intended topic of the history of women's drumming practices. In recent years, many books have been published with this theme: ancient goddesses, Divine Feminine, etc. I picked up this book because I thought it would offer a completely new angle on ancient practice, yet, I found it repeated things that I have learned in various other publications. There were a few new insights, as well as very interesting images and pictures to demonstrate how ancient women used their drums, but not the amount of information for which I was hoping.

One other qualm I had with this book was the subtitle: A Spiritual History of Rhythm. When an author attaches this inclusive subtitle to a book, the reader hopes for a survey from many different cultures and continents. I was disappointed that African rhythm history was altogether ignored in this book, in favor of Asian, and European rhythm history. African rhythms are some of the most ancient, and the women had a special purpose and place in the development of rhythm and music in Africa. Why ignore them? Perhaps Redmond's subtitle should have read: A Spiritual History of Frame Drumming in Europe and Asia. At least that way, it would have been clear upfront what the reader could expect.

Although I have been critical of the overall work, I applaud Redmond's effort to commute her passion and love for drumming and rhythm, as well as her devotion to the Divine. Reading the book inspired me to pick up her CD, and I am anxious to hear more of her work.

WHEN THE DRUMMERS WERE WOMEN is a great bargain! In less than 200 pages, charmingly illustrated with black & white photographs and drawings, Layne Redmond accomplishes three tasks. Her original goal was to write a history of women's ritual drumming in selected ancient cultures. In reaching this goal, she has created a wonderfully accessible overview of the role of the Great Goddess in India, Sumeria, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Redmond also surveys the Paleolithic and Neolithic roots of the Goddess, as well as the transformation of the Goddess into the Virgin Mary. Not least of all, she anchors her story in the contemporary world, weaving together her personal and professional quests, the response of other women to her work, and relevant scientific research. Inevitably, in such an ambitious yet brief work, there are occasional flaws such as overgeneralizations or historical anachronisms; but these do not outweigh the merits of the book. Both her drummer's point of view and the breadth of her research offer new insights to readers familiar with the history of the Great Goddess. At the same time, her brevity and style make her work an excellent introduction for readers new to the subject. The subtitle of the book is "A Spiritual History of Rhythm", and the purpose seems to be both to document the role of sacred drumming by women priestesses in ancient times and to argue the value of drumming in contemporary spiritual practice. In pursuit of these two purposes, Redmond illuminates the role of women in ancient religions, the development of various mythic symbols, the evolution and suppression of the Goddess, and the physiological & psychological bases of spirituality. What may have started as a little book about rhythm became a major quest--as fascinating to the reader as it was meaningful to the author.

May I tell you about a wonderful, mind-expanding, and heart-expanding book I have recently read called "When the Drummers Were Women"? With lavish illustrations and photographs, meticulous research, and a cross-cultural perspective, author Layne Redmond (a master drummer/teacher herself) gives us a thorough and thoroughly human look at the Goddess cultures and religions which were destroyed by the violently patriarchal Indo-Europeans roaring out of the steppes of central Asia to found the late-prehistorical and historical cultures and religions of Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Persia, and India. Layne traces the mythology of the Goddess religions as the Goddess is raped and subjugated by the male gods of the Indo-Europeans. The so-called Western Tradition has quite a different look from the perspective of the cultures, religions, and philosophies which it destroyed in its ascendance to world domination.

It's also possible to read and absorb it in small pieces, which is a real advantage for sick or busy people. While this book would not appeal to guns-and-football men or religious conservatives, it makes a good and fundamental source of information for readers who wish to consider themselves to be educated. This book lies in the new "Inclusive History" movement, in which events are selected and portrayed to show multiple viewpoints. This approach contrasts quite sharply with the enormous bias shown in the selection and portrayal of events in the "Exclusive History" writings of the victors. Thus, for those who have not been fortunate enough to attend schools where "Inclusive History" textbooks are used, this material helps to correct biased representations and to fill vitally important gaps in a lifetime learner's knowledge of The Human Experience.

This book made a major change in my life as a woman & a drummer. Filled with photos of funereal friezes, statuettes & bas relief of women holding frame drums or tambourines from centuries & centuries ago before written history, this is the telling of one woman's journey along her spiritual path & the discoveries she made. A lovely lyrical effort & one I eagerly recommend. It will change your life!

I am not a drummer, but after reading this book, I think that will change. This book has great history about frame drums but it is so much more. After I read this book, I ordered another one for a friend. I only wish I could find the words to show how deeply touched I am by this book. Bring on the drums!

The detail of the history is great. I was thrilled to find a true history that was backed with details and true references. It's a book worth owning and sharing with all drummers you know. It renewed my interest and gave me new insites.

Tal

How do you stand back far enough from something that is as personal and lifegiving as your own heartbeat so that you help a casual questioner understand it? What do you include, what do you leave for another time? I've long looked for a primer for exploring prehistoric spirituality. Like Goldilocks, those I found were "too, too dreary," covering detail after detail without finding the soul, or "too, too gooey," too close to the writer's intimate self and not reaching my needs. Redmond's book on drumming is "just right." It is clearly written and interesting. It is easily accessible to this casual reader. At the same time it is well researched with sufficient documentation both to make her assertions credible and to permit the reader further research. The notes, discography, bibliography, index, even the credits for the illustrations underscore the quality of the material presented and offer the reader plenty of direction for further investigation.

This book outlines the history of drumming and empowers women today to take up the drum. This is a well researched piece of work that reaches into ancient history. Layne Redmond traces the history of the drum and how women were the first drummers until patriarchy emerged and discouraged and then prevented women from using the drum. It is interesting and informative.