1917. 1938. 1952. Nigeria. Yoruba drummers.
The British colonial government was annoyed by the Yoruba drumming. It was considered as “unnecessary noise making” and thus prohibited and restricted. Even local Yoruba chiefs took steps to restrict drumming. Colonial rule hade made them answerable to the colonial government and drumming was often used to criticize the chiefs.
In 1938 drumming was prohibited on certain islands and areas. One reason was fear of religious conflict since drumming could interrupt Christian worship. In 1952 another ban against drumming was passed to protect the young people. But the drummers persisted – even though they were frequently fined and jailed. When Nigeria became independent in 1960 – drummers were paid to play during the festivities.
Source: A World Encyclopedia and The File Room