Instrument Family Percussion (Membranophone) Classification Variable-tension hourglass drum Primary Origin West Africa (Oyo Empire, Ghana Empire) Key Materials Hardwood (Mahogany/Cordia), Goatskin/Lizard skin, Leather thongs Playing… Talking Drum: How Drums Communicated Messages
Instrument Name Djembe (also spelled Jembe, Jenbe, Djimbe) Classification Membranophone, Goblet Drum, Hand Percussion Place of Origin West Africa (Mali, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso)… Djembe: The Goblet Drum of West Africa
Instrument Family Lamellophone (Plucked Idiophone) Origin & Roots Zimbabwe (Shona People), Southern Africa Traditional Name Mbira dza Vadzimu (Voice of the Ancestors) Modern Variation Kalimba… Mbira (Kalimba): The African Thumb Piano
Classification Membranophone (Percussion Instrument) Origin Japan (Roots in China/Korea, modernized in 20th century) Primary Materials Keyaki (Zelkova wood) for the body; Cowhide for the heads… Taiko: The Thunderous Spirit of Japanese Drums
Instrument Name Bodhrán (pronounced Bow-rawn) Classification Membranophone, Frame Drum Place of Origin Ireland 🇮🇪 Traditional Materials Cured Goat Skin (head), Ash or Birch Wood (rim)… Bodhrán: The Heartbeat of Irish Traditional Music
Imagine standing in the cool, dimly lit hall of an ancient temple in Thebes. The air is thick with incense, and suddenly, a rhythmic, metallic… Egyptian Sistrum: The Sacred Rattle of Hathor