Dagbon, a 500-year-old kingdom located in northern Ghana, has an elaborate royal hierarchy in which each member has his own orchestra of "talking drums." This program, filmed on location in a group of villages surrounding Dagbon’s regional capital, explores the ritual use of drum music at every milestone of life. The roles of the master drummers—born into their calling and rigorously trained from childhood—as entertainers, historians, and moral guardians of their culture are also examined. Performers include Issahaku Abdulai, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulai, Fuseini Alhassan, and Fuseini Tia. (58 minutes)