WEST AFRICAN DRUMS

The oldest musical instrument in the world is the drum, dating to as far back as 6000 B.C. It is a percussion instrument which simply means that it is sounded by striking, scraping or shaking. It is also called a membranophone which means an instrument that is sounded by striking a prolonged membrane with some type of object, typically a stick. Drums are believed to have originated in Africa. However, whether this is true or not, we do know that they play a central role in African culture, so much so, that they are said to symbolize Africa itself.

In the African culture, drums are thought to have great power and are used for rituals and ceremonies such as healing and naming ceremonies, for self-expression, as well as for communication purposes such as in the case of a drum call. A drum call conveys a message to the community and the most common types are:

1. The call to work

2. The call to worship

3. The call to signal danger

There are numerous types of drums within the western regions in Africa.

However, the popular types include the Djembe, the Dunun, the Bougarabou, the Goumbe and the Kpanlogo drums.

The Djembe (pronounced jem-bay) drum is said to be the most common type of African drum and originated out of West Africa in countries such as Mali and Senegal. It is a goblet-shaped drum made from hardwood and the head covered with animal skin. This drum is sometimes referred to as Devil drum because the wood from which it was traditionally carved was called dimba, translated to mean "devil wood". The Djembe drum is meant to be played with bare hands and is produced in various sizes. Often times, a large and a small drum are played side by side for variety in tones.

The Dunun (pronounced DOO-noon), is another drum which has a hollow tubular wood body. Both ends of the drum are covered with cow skin and these covered heads are generally struck with a stick. This type of drum is usually played in sets of three, the largest being the Dundumba (DOON-doom-bah), the middle-sized being the Sangban (SONG-bahn) and the smallest being the Kenkeni (KEN-ken-ee). Each of these drums has a distinct sound and as such has a specific role when being played. The Dunun drum is often accompanied by a bell (kenken) which has a pattern related to the drum pattern

The Bougarabou is a set of drums which are single headed and shaped like an elongated goblet. The head is made from cow skin and was usually struck with the hand or a stick. This drum was usually played as a single drum, however, in recent times, they are played in sets of three or four, all of different sizes. The bougarabou is a good bass drum which gives a rich tone and players of these drums often wear jangling metal bracelets so as to enhance the sound while playing.

The Goumbe drum is a traditional instrument of Sierra Leone. The body of this drum is about two feet in height and is cylindrical in shape. The head is usually covered with goat skin and when struck, produces a bass sound which enhances any musical repertoire.

The Kpanlogo drum, also known as the ceremonial drum because of its important role in ceremonies, is a cylindrical-shaped drum with a single head made from goat, cow or antelope skin. The skin used for the head is tightened by six pegs which can be adjusted to adjust the tension and consequently, the sound of the drum. This drum can either be played with hands or sticks which results in the production of rich but soft tones.