Gather here in the struggle and the power. For the spirits draw near and bid us welcome. Drumbeats continue throughout the banner parade. They may vary in style and character, but a constant beat or pulse is important. The assembly then joins, under the direction of the song leader.
Drumbeat continues after song is over, somewhat softer.
However varied from place to place and time to time, drums are the audible pulse in cultures. So strong are they, that in the struggle between cultures on this continent, they were often silenced. The cadences of Asente and the Senegal, the songs of the Shoshone and the Ute, the souls of Africa and America, were all but lost. But like the spark left from a doused fire, they did not die. Unheard by most, the drums beat on, the very pulse of the people who beat them.