Ngoma Module — Sacred Music
Rhythms, songs, instruments, and musician lineages
Domain module. Vocabulary for documenting sacred music across Afro-Atlantic traditions. Covers ritual rhythms and their entity associations, sacred songs and verse corpora, consecrated drum sets and their lineages, and musician authority transmission. Integrates with the Music Ontology (mo:) where applicable. Access control distinguishes public knowledge (rhythm names, entity associations) from restricted operational detail (toque sequences, song texts, drum preparation). Use with iroko-agency for consecrated instrument agency (Añá); iroko-authority for musician lineage authorization; iroko-narrative for song transmission chains and verse corpus provenance.
A documented chain of transmission from master musician to apprentice, governing the right to play specific sacred instruments, lead specific rhythms, or perform specific songs. In Lucumí: Olubatá lineages with specific Añá initiations. In Candomblé: ogan lineages. Musician lineages are community knowledge in general form; specific transmission records are initiated-only.
A formally recognized set of consecrated drums understood as a unified sacred entity within a tradition. In Lucumí: the Añá bàtá set, which holds the spirit of Añá and requires specific initiation (Aña or Olubatá) to play. In Haitian Vodou: the Rada drum battery (manman, seconde, bula). In Candomblé: the atabaque trio (rum, rumpi, lé). A drum set may have its own name, lineage, house affiliation, and reception date. The Añá bàtá in particular carries highly restricted esoteric status; set identity and lineage are initiated-only.
A musical instrument used in Afro-Atlantic sacred contexts, which may be consecrated, named, or otherwise distinguished from secular instruments of the same type. Examples: a set of consecrated bàtá drums; Vodou rada drums (manman, seconde, bula); Candomblé rum/rumpi/lé. An instrument may have its own name, lineage, and history. The instrument type is public; consecration status and internal names are community-restricted.
A tradition-specific ritual drumming pattern with defined entity associations, ceremonial function, and authority requirements for performance. In Lucumí: a toque or canto. In Haitian Vodou: a tanbou rhythm for a specific lwa. In Candomblé: a xirê toque. Each rhythm is identified by its name, entity association, tradition, and lineage variant. Rhythm names are community-restricted; possession-trigger status and toque sequences are initiated-only.
A song, chant, or liturgical vocal composition used in Afro-Atlantic ceremonial contexts. Includes oriki (Yorùbá praise poetry), canto de entrada (Lucumí invocation songs), chanson Vodou, and analogous forms. Songs may be classified by entity addressed, ceremony type, and liturgical language. Song text is among the most sensitive data in this module: song existence and entity association are community-restricted; text and melodic structure are initiated-only to elder-only.
| Property | Type | Domain → Range | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rhythmAlternateName alternate rhythm name |
Datatype | Sacred Rhythm → langString | Community Only | Alternative or regional names for this rhythm. Language-tagged. |
| associatedRhythm associated rhythm |
Object | Sacred Song → Sacred Rhythm | Community Only | The rhythm pattern that accompanies this song. |
| authorityRequirement authority requirement |
Object | Musician Lineage → Concept | Community Only | The initiation or authority title required to perform in this lineage. Range: iroko:AuthorityTitleScheme concept. |
| consecrationDate consecration date |
Datatype | Sacred Instrument → date | Community Only | Date the instrument was consecrated or born. For Añá bàtá: the date of Aña reception. |
| setLineage drum set lineage |
Object | Sacred Drum Set → Musician Lineage | Initiated Only | The musician lineage to which this drum set belongs. Particularly important for Añá bàtá: the Olubatá lineage determines performance rights and toque knowledge. Initiated-only. |
| entityCalled entity called |
Object | Sacred Rhythm → SpiritualEntity | Community Only | The spiritual entity primarily associated with this rhythm — the entity this rhythm is sung/played for or that it invites. Range: iroko:SpiritualEntity. Community-restricted. |
| addaEspiritualStatus esoteric status notes |
Datatype | Sacred Drum Set → langString | Initiated Elder | Free-text description of the esoteric or sacred status of this instrument, including any restrictions on who may touch, play, or be present. Initiated-elder only. |
| houseAffiliation house affiliation |
Object | Sacred Instrument → House | Community Only | The religious house with which this instrument or drum set is affiliated. Range: iroko:House. |
| instrumentName instrument name |
Datatype | Sacred Instrument → langString | Community Only | The name of this specific consecrated instrument or set. For Añá bàtá: the name of the drum set. Community-restricted. |
| instrumentType instrument type |
Object | Sacred Instrument → Concept | Public | The type of sacred instrument. Range: iroko:InstrumentTypeScheme. |
| lineageFounder lineage founder |
Object | Musician Lineage → Person | Community Only | The founding master musician of this lineage. Range: foaf:Person. |
| lineageHouse lineage house |
Object | Musician Lineage → House | Community Only | The religious house through which this musician lineage operates. Range: iroko:House. |
| lineageName lineage name |
Datatype | Musician Lineage → langString | Community Only | The name of this musician lineage or school. Community-restricted. |
| songLanguage liturgical language |
Datatype | Sacred Song → language | Community Only | The liturgical language in which this song is performed (e.g., Lucumí/Yorùbá, Fon, Kikongo, Haitian Kreyòl). Language tag. |
| possessionTrigger possession trigger |
Datatype | Sacred Rhythm → boolean | Initiated Only | Whether this rhythm is understood to trigger or invite spirit possession when performed correctly. Initiated-only: this knowledge is operationally significant and not appropriate for public documentation. |
| rhythmFamily rhythm family |
Object | Sacred Rhythm → Concept | Public | The broad rhythmic family or tradition category. Range: iroko:RhythmFamilyScheme. |
| rhythmFunction rhythm function |
Object | Sacred Rhythm → Concept | Community Only | The ceremonial function of this rhythm. Range: iroko:RhythmFunctionScheme. |
| rhythmName rhythm name |
Datatype | Sacred Rhythm → langString | Community Only | The conventional name of the rhythm in the tradition's liturgical language. Language-tagged. Community-restricted. |
| rhythmNotation rhythm notation |
Datatype | Sacred Rhythm → langString | Community Only | Onomatopoeic or phonetic notation of the rhythm pattern (e.g., 'kon-ko-lo' for a specific bàtá pattern). Community-restricted. |
| setComponents set components |
Datatype | Sacred Drum Set → langString | Community Only | Description of the drums in a consecrated set (e.g., iyá, itótele, okónkolo for bàtá). Community-restricted. |
| songEntity song entity |
Object | Sacred Song → SpiritualEntity | Community Only | The spiritual entity addressed or invoked by this song. Range: iroko:SpiritualEntity. |
| songFunction song function |
Object | Sacred Song → Concept | Community Only | The ceremonial function of this song. Range: iroko:SongFunctionScheme. |
| songText song text |
Datatype | Sacred Song → langString | Initiated Elder | The full text of the song as transmitted in the lineage. Initiated-elder only: sacred song texts are among the most sensitive items in this corpus, equivalent to verse corpora in the Marca module. |
| songTitle song title |
Datatype | Sacred Song → langString | Community Only | The title or opening phrase identifying this song. Language-tagged. Community-restricted. |
| songTranslation song translation |
Datatype | Sacred Song → langString | Initiated Only | Translation of song text into a non-liturgical language. Initiated-only: translations reveal meaning even without the liturgical text. |
| toqueSequence toque sequence |
Datatype | Sacred Rhythm → langString | Initiated Elder | The full performance sequence: how this rhythm is introduced, developed, and resolved within a ceremony. Initiated-elder only: toque sequences are core esoteric knowledge of the musician lineage. |
| transmissionLineage transmission lineage |
Object | Sacred Rhythm → Musician Lineage | Community Only | The musician lineage through which this rhythm is transmitted. Range: iroko:MusicianLineage. |
InstrumentTypeScheme
Double or single iron bell providing the timeline in many Afro-Atlantic rhythm traditions. Associated with Ogun/Ogou in Lucumí and Vodou contexts.
Single-headed conical drum used in Candomblé in sets of three (rum/grande, rumpi/médio, lé/pequeno). May be consecrated; the rum (largest) typically leads.
Two-headed conical hourglass drum of Yorùbá origin. In Lucumí tradition, the consecrated Añá bàtá set (iyá, itótele, okónkolo) is the highest-authority drum. Requires Olubatá/Aña initiation to play in sacred contexts.
Drums used in Palo Monte ceremonies. The nkómo tradition derives from Bantu/Kongo drumming practice. Different preparation and restriction protocols than bàtá.
Sacred instrument type not covered by existing concepts.
Drums used in Haitian Vodou Petwo nation ceremonies. Prepared differently from Rada drums; tighter skin tuning and faster tempo.
The three-drum Haitian Vodou Rada battery: manman (largest), seconde (middle), bula (smallest). Associated with cool, Fon-derived lwa.
Gourd rattle with bead netting used across Yorùbá-derived and related traditions. Consecrated shekeré are used in Orisha ceremonies; güiro refers to the Cuban variant.
RhythmFamilyScheme
Rhythms of the Angola (Bantu/Kongo-derived) nation in Candomblé. Maculelê, capoeira, and samba de roda exist in relationship with Angola ritual music.
Rhythms of the Ketu (Yorùbá-derived) nation in Candomblé, performed on the atabaque trio (rum, rumpi, lé). The xirê sequence calls each Orixá in a defined order.
Rhythms of the Petwo nation in Haitian Vodou, associated with fiercer and more demanding lwa (often Kongo-derived). Distinguished by faster tempos and specific drum preparation practices.
Rhythms of the Rada nation in Haitian Vodou, associated with the cool, beneficent lwa (primarily Fon-derived: Lasirèn, Loko, Ayizan, Danbala). Performed on the Rada drum battery.
Rhythms performed on the consecrated Añá bàtá drum set in Lucumí/Ocha tradition. Requires Olubatá authority and Aña initiation to lead. Considered the highest-authority drumming tradition in Lucumí; specific toques are associated with specific Orisha and are operationally significant.
Rhythms performed on non-consecrated shakers, cajón, or güiro in Lucumí contexts. Used in güiro ceremonies and some Espiritismo-adjacent practice. Less restricted than bàtá but still tradition-specific.
Rhythm family not covered by existing concepts. Use skos:scopeNote to describe.
Rhythms of Palo Monte and related Cuban Bantu-Atlantic traditions, performed on nkómo drums and associated percussion. Tata Nganga authority determines performance rights for restricted rhythms.
Sacred rhythms in continental Yorùbá practice, including dundun (talking drum), bàtá, and sakara traditions as practiced in Nigeria and Benin.
RhythmFunctionScheme
The rhythm has an accepted public or entertainment role alongside its sacred function (e.g., folkloric bàtá performances).
The rhythm signals or facilitates the departure of a spiritual entity from the ceremonial space.
The rhythm is performed in funerary, Egungun, or ancestral veneration contexts.
The rhythm is performed specifically during initiatory ceremonies and is restricted to those contexts.
The rhythm is specifically associated with inducing or deepening spirit possession in a prepared recipient. Initiated-only detail.
The rhythm accompanies movement through ceremonial space or between spaces.
The rhythm formally greets and honors an entity without necessarily seeking possession. Often the opening toque in a sequence.
SongFunctionScheme
Songs performed in Ituto, Egungun, or other funerary and ancestral contexts.
Songs performed as part of healing or cleansing interventions.
Songs performed specifically within initiatory rites, restricted to those contexts.
Song that calls or invites a spiritual entity. Primary function of canto de entrada and analogous opening songs.
Song that tells a story about an entity, an ancestor, or a sacred event.
Song function not covered by existing concepts.
Song that honors and praises an entity or ancestor without necessarily seeking presence. Oriki are the primary Yorùbá form.