What Are The Names Of The African Drums?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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  • Djembe. The djembe is the most well-known African drum around the world. …
  • Dundun (Talking Drum) The dundun's body is shaped like an hourglass and has a number of ropes or strings stretched from top to bottom. …
  • Bata. …
  • Bougarabou.

What are the 4 main percussion instruments from Africa?

Most widely spread and played instruments in Africa are

the drum, the xylophone, the mbira, rattles and shakers

.

Did drums come from Africa?

The djembe drum is said

to have been invented in the 12th Century by the Mandinke tribe in what is now Mali, in West Africa

. It has been played by West Africans for generations forming an integral part of ritualistic life in Mali, Guinea, Senegal and other neighbouring West African countries.

What are Ghanaian drums called?

Kpanlogo (pronounced “PAHN-loh-goh”), traditionally

named

Tswreshi or Treshi is a type of barrel

drum

that is associated with Kpanlogo music, and is usually played with two hands. The

drum

originates from the Ga people of the Greater Accra Region in

Ghana

, West Africa.

What are those African drums called?


The djembe

is one of West Africa's best known instruments. This goblet-shaped drum is traditionally carved from a single piece of African hardwood and topped with an animal skin as a drumhead. In western understanding, the drum belongs to the membranophone class of instruments in the family.

What are 4 types of African drums?

  • Djembe. The djembe is the most well-known African drum around the world. …
  • Dundun (Talking Drum) The dundun's body is shaped like an hourglass and has a number of ropes or strings stretched from top to bottom. …
  • Bata. …
  • Bougarabou.

Why did Africans use drums?

African hand are

played to communicate, celebrate, mourn and inspire

. They're played in times of peace and war, planting and harvesting, birth and death. Drums have been such a large part of Africans' daily experience for so long that drumming pulses throughout their collective unconscious. It's in their genes.

What is the oldest African instrument?


The bolon

is one of the oldest of the West African stringed instruments and was originally associated with the hunting and warrior traditions.

How do they call a wooden xylophone in Africa?

It is known in Latin America as a

marimba

(one of its African names) and was probably taken there by African slaves; xylophones with calabash resonators exist in the Bantu-language areas of Africa under the name marimba. Other common names for such instruments in West Africa are balo or balafon.

Do flamenco dancers use castanets?

Castanets are commonly used in

the flamenco dance

. In fact, Spanish folk dance “Sevillanas” is the style typically performed using castanet. Escuela bolera, a balletic dance form, is also accompanied by castanets.

What do drums symbolize in Africa?

In much of Africa, drums are considered to symbolize and

protect royalty

, which often leads to their being housed in sacred dwellings. They can also be considered as a primitive telephone, since drums are also used to communicate with tribes that are miles and miles away.

What are the main features of African drumming?

  • polyrhythms are created by layering different rhythms together.
  • dynamics are changed depending on the force with which the drum is hit.
  • dynamics are not written down on a score – the leader signals changes in dynamics during the performance.

What cultures use drums?

Use of drums across the world started to spread across

Asia

, reaching Japan, India, Middle East, Africa and southern Europe by 2nd century BC (most notably African drums that were introduced into ancient Greece and Rome).

Do men dance Adowa?

It was done by only women but

men can

also do it now. The instruments used in a classical Adowa performance are an atumpan pair of ‘talking' drums, petia, which is a tenor drum, apentemma, a supporting drum, dondo (hourglass drum), adawuraa (bell), trowa (made of gourd rattles) and rhythmic handclapping.

What is the Gankogui nickname?

Hand-forged from thick iron and struck with a wooden stick, GANKOGUI BELLS, also known by other names like

the Agogo

, play the “key rhythm” in West African drum ensembles.

What is Atsimevu?

The atsimevu is

an open single-headed cylindrical drum that is part of the traditional Ewe percussion set

. It is the master drum of the percussion ensemble. … Usually the atsimevu is played solo within an ensemble and is placed in a metal or wooden stand (wudesti) because of its weight and the way it is played.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.