Gus Casely-Hayford > Quotes

“In Mahmoud’s hand is a large stone. Very calmly he lifts his palm over the slither of rock and brings the stone down on its craggy surface. A gorgeous, true, deep bell-like tone rings out, amplified by the natural rocky auditorium. ‘Is it a bell?’ I ask. ‘No, it’s not a bell. It’s what we call a rock gong.’ I know these objects. I sit next to Mahmoud in the shade with a stone in my hand and we try to beat out a staccato tune together. The surface of the gong has been shaped so that different tones are produced by different areas, rather like a convex version of a modern steel drum.”
― Gus Casely-Hayford, The Lost Kingdoms of Africa