Some Of The Most Popular African Drums Around

When you ponder about the African continent, the first things that come to mind are the African tribes and their various drums. The comprehensive range of African drums available is truly mind-boggling and they are an integral part of most African cultures.

African drums are part of all major occasions in Africa from wedding to funeral to religious functions. Every African drum is different from the other and no two drum sound similar.

They each have their own significance in the lives of the African people. Most of these drums have been in vogue for more than hundreds or thousands of years and have traveled across the globe and been adopted by many countries as part of their musical ensemble. But for the Africans, it is not only a medium of entertainment but has a deep religious and sentimental history behind.

Below is a list of African drums you’ve probably read and heard about but you might not be aware of how popular they are as regards their usage in Africa.

Bata Drums

Famous African drums used by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The bata drums essentially are made up of a combination of three or five drums, all of the different sizes. These can be played either with a stick or with one's hand.

The two ends of the drums are not of the same size with one end having a large head and the other end having a smaller head with the neck tapering down. The Yoruba people consider the deity Ana to be residing within these drums. The bata drums are also an integral part of Cuban culture.

Though the bata drums are African in origin they were introduced to the Cuban people by the African slaves who brought these drums to Cuba as part of their religious practices. Since then these drums have been part of Cuban music, including the Cuban jazz and timba.

Bougarabou

This drum is still predominantly found in this part of Africa. Traditionally a single drum played with one hand or a stick, recent times have seen players using different sizes of bougarabou drums for increased percussion effect.

The bougarabou drum is made of cowhide and is shaped like an hourglass. The bougarabou player also wears jangling bracelets to add another layer of percussion effect to their music.

The Djembe Drums

Djembe is the also the most popular African drum known to the western world. Having appeared in the 13th century in Mali in Western Africa, this drum is shaped like a goblet and is played with hands. It is covered with goat skin and the people of Mali use them for both religious and social functions.

The Talking Drum

The most interesting and famous variety of drums are the talking drums of Africa. Any drum whose pitch can be modulated to sound like words in the local language can be termed as a talking drum. While the bata is also called a talking drum, this term can be applied to any of the African drums.

When next you visit Africa, be sure to get your hands on one of them.