Laura Reichek of the Alcatraz Solidarity Committee introduces three elderly members of the Omaha Tribe who visited the KPFA studios on November 24, 1970, to record a short program of Omaha songs. The performers are Charles Edwards, Mark Merrick and Rudolph Clark of Macy, Nebraska, who came to Berkeley to help celebrate the first anniversary of the Indian landing of Alcatraz Island. The drum used in these songs is made of a wooden frame covered with cowhide. It weighs about 35 pounds and has a wooden bottom. The sticks used are covered on the hitting end with leather and lamb’s wool on the other end. One single drum was used with two players hitting it from different angles. The drum is usually held from handles on its side by four men while it is being played. In this recording it sat on the floor. |
