Have you ever heard the musical rhythm of Hambone? It’s a style of percussion that began among African slaves in the United States. When the plantation owners banned them from playing drums, the slaves began to use their bodies as drums. Hambone musicians hit different parts of their bodies, including their mouths and cheeks, to make sounds with many different tones. One of the most well-known presenters of Hambone in California is Lance McGee. He goes by the name of Unique Derique, and off stage, he teaches this art to children, so this legacy of African-American cultural resistance is not lost. Our reporter Fernando Andrés Torres visited Unique Derique in Oakland, California, and has this story. This feature story is part of our series Raíces: Stories About Grassroots Artists.

This entry is available only in Español