In Vanuatu, a slit drum is a musical instrument that is traditionally played by men of high rank.
In most islands of Vanuatu, the drum has little to no decoration, and is played horizontally on the ground. On the island of Ambrym though, such drums stand vertically on the ground; they are decorated with one or several faces with disk eyes, representing ancestral figures, such a figure is called a tamtam. The distinctive shape of these Ambrym drums has made them iconic of Vanuatu as a whole; they are frequently found in museums around the world, represented on Vanuatu banknotes, and featured in the tourism industry.
Slit drums, whether decorated or not, have a significance to Vanuatu's traditional economy and society: they can be a sign of a man's wealth and social status within the political system of graded societies. The drums are sometimes found at ceremonial dance grounds and other gathering places. They have been used for dance rhythms, but also for signalling purposes. A tamtam is said to hold spirits, some good, some bad, and are often posted upright at the perimeter of a property or outside a house as protection.
DRUM! is a North American educational drumming magazine. It features artist profiles, product reviews, lessons and advanced transcriptions covering rock, pop and related styles of music. The magazine was launched in 1991 with Andy Doerschuk as editor. In the 1990s it gained a reputation for its coverage of younger drummers in contemporary styles such as punk, rap-rock, and metal. It was the first magazine to feature artists such as Tré Cool (Green Day), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Travis Barker (Blink-182) and others on its covers.
A typical issue of DRUM! includes artist features and in-depth stories on topics such as playing techniques or new products. Additionally, it includes reviews of new recordings and drum products (cymbals, drums, hardware), short news items, career and health tips, and challenging lessons.
The magazine was started by Andy Doerschuk, Phil Hood, and Connie Hood in 1991. The first issue appeared in September, 1991, with Charlie Benante of the band Anthrax and session drummer Joe Franco on the cover. At the time it was a tabloid-sized magazine that was distributed free musical equipment stores and record shops within California. In 1996 the magazine converted to a conventional glossy format and began global distribution. Today it is available in 24 countries worldwide, with more than 90 percent of copies going to Canada, Australia and the U.S.
Drum is a 2004 film based on the life of South African investigative journalist Henry Nxumalo, who worked for the popular Drum magazine, called "the first black lifestyle magazine in Africa." It was director Zola Maseko's first film and deals with the issues of apartheid and the forced removal of residents from Sophiatown. The film was originally to be a six-part television series called Sophiatown Short Stories, though Maseko could not get the funding. The lead roles of Henry Nxumalo and Drum main photographer Jürgen Schadeberg were played by American actors Taye Diggs and Gabriel Mann, while most of the rest of the cast were South African actors.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2004, and proceeded to do the rounds of international film festivals before going on general release in South Africa in July 2006. It was released in Europe, but failed to get a distributor for the USA where it went straight to DVD.
The film was generally well received critically. Most of the negative reviews were based on the quality of Maseko's directing and Jason Filardi's screenwriting. It was awarded Best South African Film at the Durban International Film Festival, and director Maseko gained the top prize at the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO).
Drum is the first release from art rock band Hugo Largo. It was produced by Michael Stipe (who also provides backing vocals on two of the tracks) and released by Brian Eno's record label, Opal, on January 1, 1988. It had originally been released in shorter form as an EP in 1987. The Guardian included it in a list of "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die" in 2007. It was reissued by All Saints Records in 2005.
"Fancy" is a cover of a song first released by The Kinks on their album Face to Face.