Tribal Drum Band Performs Breathtaking Battle Song

Jul 31, 2020

Scottish pipes and drums group Clanadonia performed Ya Bassa from their first album Keepin' It Tribal during the 2019 St. Andrew's Day celebrations in Perth City centre, Scotland.

Scottish highlanders have a reputation for being fierce warriors. This mental toughness is reflected in their customs, sayings, and music. The following band of musicians does an excellent job of portraying this legendary strength.

Clanadonia is a Scottish band. According to their website, their specialty is tribal music featuring drums and bagpipes. They also wear traditional Scottish kilts.

The band is made of five traditional musicians. They're all tall, and most of them have somewhat broad shoulders. As was probably the case with their ancient predecessors, these men look like they have what it takes to lead the troops into battle.

On this day, Clanadonia has decided to perform the battle song, Ya Bassa. According to See It Live, this piece is a modern take on the Gaelic war cry, "battle and die." The Gaelic saying, "aigh bas," is somewhat similar to the title of this new tune.

True to its fighting theme, the piece begins with quiet, yet steady drumming. It indeed sounds as if troops are in the distance. As the drummers focus on setting the beat, the bagpipers look on with solemn understanding.

Once all of the drummers have joined in, the bagpipers enter the song. They play in unison to loudly broadcast the message that they are on the way, and their troops mean business.

After everyone plays the refrain, one of the drummers shouts a count. The pace dramatically picks up. It is easy to imagine warriors running into enemy territory.

As they play, the center drummer raises his arms as if he's swinging a sword with each drum beat. They bagpipers stand relatively still while playing. The drummers, on the other hand, seem to be marching across the battlefield as they perform.

Does traditional Scottish music like this stir your mind and body into action? Perhaps you play Scottish or other traditional music from your own heritage. Take a few moments to tap out your thoughts and feelings on your keyboard hear or at another social media venue.

What do you think of Clanadonia's piece? Let us know your thoughts about their battle song in the comments and be sure to pass this along to the percussionists and bagpipe players in your life.