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Senegalese Drummer For 'Black Panther' Shares Message Of Music With Connecticut Students

Massamba Diop's talking drum from West Africa is central to the soundtrack of Marvel's "Black Panther."
Massamba Diop (right) and Tony Vacca (left) perform during an assembly at Roger Ludlowe Middle School in Fairfield, Connecticut. (Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public Radio)

Walt Disney’s hit film “Black Panther” broke new ground as the first mainstream superhero movie with a predominantly black cast and plenty of strong leading women.

The film’s music also opened new doors: introducing authentic African sounds into an action-packed Marvel-movie score.

Central to those sounds is the talking drum from West Africa, which can be heard

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