The relevance of indigenous communication systems amidst emerging modern media of mass communication - the case of Dagomba drummers (lunsi) of the northern region of Ghana

AbstractThe paper focuses on lunsi (drummers) as promoters of indigenous communication in the Dagbon Kingdom in Ghana. The study fills a gap in research about lunsi cultural performances as indigenous communication. In ethnographic research, the study relied on personal observations, key informant interviews and focus group discussions to collect data from chiefs, elders and lunsi. A major finding of the study is that lunsi are vessels of speech, which not only transmit messages and entertain audiences but more importantly they encapsulate the Dagomba culture and strive to preserve it. The study concluded that the emergence of modern media of mass communication seems to trigger concerns about the survival of lunsi as a means of communication and transmission of culture. The study notes that the ubiquitous nature of modern mass media rather offers the lunsi a unique opportunity and a lever to strengthen cross-cultural communication and preserve the cultural patrimony of the Dagomba people.