The Ghana Notebooks

The Ghana Notebooks are the result of decades of Rizzi's studies in Ghanaian drumming, dancing and song.

 

Each notebook contains all the knowledge Brian has learned from his various teachers about a specific dance-drumming style. Lead drum variations, response drum and support parts, form, history, songs, poetry, ritual passages, dance, alternate versions, and costuming are all included, along with corresponding audio and video examples.

​

All rhythms are written in the Ewe drum language, not standard music

 

notation, to keep the translation as close to traditional as possible.

 

They are presented here in print form as Rizzi's teachers have taught

 

to him orally, with Nani Agbeli as the main source. 

​

​

In addition to the drum music, the Rizzi Rhythm Songbook contains

 

over 300 traditional songs and translations from Ghana, Guinea, Mali,

 

Cuba, Brazil and Peru. A Cuba/Brazil notebook has also been added to

 

the series containing lesser-known rhythms from those areas.

​

 

The Ghana Notebooks (totaling over 500 pages and growing) are not for

 

sale, but are available to Rizzi's students as a resource for learning.