John F. Carrington
Encyclopedia
John F. Carrington was an English missionary who spent large part of his life in the Belgian Congo
.
He became fluent in the Kele language and in the related drum language, and wrote a book on the subject.
He was involved in teaching throughout his missionary career in Yakusu
, a major school center run by the Baptist Missionary Society
, where he worked between 1938 and 1950.
He was struck by the fact that although there were no telephones, everyone know exactly when he would arrive at a village.
He found that the local Kele people
were communicating via drums. Each village had an expert drummer and everyone could understand drum language, which echoes the rhythms of the spoken Kele language.
Carrington published The Talking Drums of Africa in 1949. By that time, the Kele drum language was falling out of use.
Today, it has become extinct.
Carrington moved to Yalemba
in 1951, where he found two drum languages corresponding to the Heso language of the Basoko
people and the Topoke language of the Baonga villagers on the other side of the Congo.
However, he found that out of 200 boys at the school only 20 could drum.
Carrington said "The boys now say, 'We want to read and write,' and laugh at the drum".
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
.
He became fluent in the Kele language and in the related drum language, and wrote a book on the subject.
Career
John Carrington arrived in Africa in 1938.He was involved in teaching throughout his missionary career in Yakusu
Yakusu
Yakusu was a mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the Congo River just west and downstream of Kisangani.-History:The BMS Mission was established between 1895 and 1896 at the highest navigable point of the Congo, just below the Stanley Falls....
, a major school center run by the Baptist Missionary Society
Baptist Missionary Society
rightBMS World Mission is a Christian missionary society founded by Baptists from England in 1792. It was originally called the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen, but for most of its life was known as the Baptist Missionary Society...
, where he worked between 1938 and 1950.
He was struck by the fact that although there were no telephones, everyone know exactly when he would arrive at a village.
He found that the local Kele people
Kele people (Congo)
The Kele people are a Bantu ethnic group of about 160,000 people, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.They mainly live on the south bank of the Congo River between Kisangani and Isangi....
were communicating via drums. Each village had an expert drummer and everyone could understand drum language, which echoes the rhythms of the spoken Kele language.
Carrington published The Talking Drums of Africa in 1949. By that time, the Kele drum language was falling out of use.
Today, it has become extinct.
Carrington moved to Yalemba
Yalemba
Yalemba was a mission of the Baptist Missionary Society in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lying on the north bank of the Congo River between Basoko and Yangambi.The mission was established a short distance downstream from Yabibi Rive...
in 1951, where he found two drum languages corresponding to the Heso language of the Basoko
Basoko
Basoko is a town on the Congo River in Tshopo District of northern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 47,970....
people and the Topoke language of the Baonga villagers on the other side of the Congo.
However, he found that out of 200 boys at the school only 20 could drum.
Carrington said "The boys now say, 'We want to read and write,' and laugh at the drum".