Burru


Burru is an Ashanti-Jamaican style of drumming. It originated on slave plantations, where slave masters permitted its continuance as it provided a rhythm for the slaves to work by. "Burru" originates from the Twi word "Bru" meaning to "ravage"; "strike" or "destroy", "burru" in Jamaican patois also refers to an individual that is a "ruffian". This was possibly an insult from one Twi speaking slave or Coromantee to another. This derived from an Ashanti style drum called Aburukuwa that is cylindrical in shape, also called "burru" drum in Jamaica. It has been used in reggae music, popularised by Count Ossie and also used by artists such as Bob Marley.