This is one of the unpublished compositions of Aaron. Aaron among other things, performs with Hewale sounds as the master xylophonist. This piece is Aaron's contribution to Hewale's new album, TREMA. This is another piece by Hewale Sounds. The skills of Aaron on the xylophone can be heard. Saabewana is a piece from the Dagaare area of the Upper West Region. It mean the rains are not coming.

Born in 1970 in the village of Tanchara in the Upper West Region of Ghana, Aaron Bebe Sukura showed great enthusiasm in music at an early age. His interest in Music compelled his father to buy him a Xylophone. Aaron would trace the sound of a xylophone to wherever it was being played. As a born musician he learnt under the tutelage of his father. He used to hold the beaters together with his father anytime he put the Gyil (xylophone) down to play. During his grandfather’s funeral, someone told his mother that, he would be a great xylophonist one day. At that time he was still crawling but he would crawl and climb to the xylophone when his father is playing. And truly, by that prediction, Aaron is today a multi-talented instrumentalist.

He was enrolled in Tanchara Primary and Middle schools where he was educated from 1979-1989. He came down to Accra that same year and was fortunate to be employed in the Music department of the University of Ghana in 1992 as an instructor to teach xylophone. He used the opportunity to have private studies and attempted the General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Ordinary Level in 1986 under the auspices of West African Examination Council. Aaron Bebe Sukura does only play the xylophone. He play the Seprewa, the harp lute of the Akan speaking people of Ghana, the Zimbabwean soul instrument, Mbira., Atenteben (flute) and the African guitar. As an artist he sings anytime the instrument is being played. He has songs composed in English language as well as Dargati folk songs.

As a skillful player he has developed classical styles of playing the gyil and his admirers always want to watch him for long hours anytime he is on the instrument. He combines traditional and classical music making his pices very insteresting.

Many people both foreign and local benefited from his xylophone lessons. Foreigners from different parts of the world who he taught attested his

XYLOPHONE

The xylophone (gyil) in Ghana is played mainly in the upper West region of the country by the Daagare and Sisaala people, whose territory also extends into Burkina Faso. The xylophone is the principal instrument in these socities occupying a position equivlent to drums in other areas.

The instrument which is used frequently for all kinds of musical occasions in the central (Jirapa) area is considered sacred in some areas and is played only for funerals. However, in the Wa disrtict, the xylophone is not played for funerals. The xylophone has also found its place in the Church where together with drums and rattles, it acccompanies the congregation in sining in a Dagarti Church Mass using traiditional Dagarti folk songs with sacred words of mass. In the schools, the xylophone is used for marching music as students and pupils proceed from outdoor assembly in the classrooms.

The most commn type of recreatoinal music use for dancing is called "Bawa" and is usually an elaboration of a song tune. Funeral music is generally refeered to as "Lobi" xylophone music and is played to announce death.

The xylohone appears in three forms:

I. The graduated series of wooden slabs or keys are mounted over a resonance chamber such as a pit, box or trough, or a clay pot. Pit xylophones are found in a few places in West Africa (Guinea, Nigeria and the Chad), in the Central African Republic (among the Kusu). Box xylophones are played by the Zaramo of Tanzania, while xylophone keys tied over pots are found in Ibo land of Nigeria.

ii. In the secon type of xyloophone, the keys are laid over two pieces of banana stems and are kept in position by sticks affixed to the stem between the keys. This is very common in West Africa (for exaple, I Kissicountry in Guinea and in the Ivory Coast}, as well as in the Central and Eastern Africa (e.g. Zaire, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique).

iii. The third type has keys mounted over a wooden frame, below which a number of gourd resonators are suspended in size in relation in relation to the pitches of the wooden slabs. It ha a wide distribution in West Africa, as well as in Central and Eastern Africa- from Zaire to Mozambique, and further south to Venda land.

Buildng a xylophone is a specialisd undertaking and players do not normallly make their own instrumnents, although the maker will usually be a very competent player. A xylophone builder will need a good understanding of practical acoutics and woodworking. The wood that is used to build the bar is different from the one that is used to build the frame. The tree from which the bars are buid usally a type of mahogany whichis left for some 6-7 years after has been felled. The wood for the frame is less hard and more flexible and is found mostly near rivers.

The number of slabs used for constructing African xylophone varies. Some xylophones have a narrow compass of one to four keys these may be found amng the Ibo of Nigeria, the Bariba of Benin Republic. The Dargati and Sisaala of Ghana for is nstance have 14, 17, and 20 keys.

Xylophone players each have their own individual style which they gradually develop by imitating and dapting the music of other players. Experienced players have their own individual "signature tune" which they have composed and which they introduce their performances. A master xyphonolist is able to improvise on anything he hears and will imitated in turn.