Djembes, Sabar, Ewe, Kpanlogo, Kutiro, Talking Drums, Bougarabou... The drums of West Africa are many and varied. At Bongo Central we currently have drums of the Djembe, Sabar, and Bougarabou families, some of which are pictured here. We endeavor to import only the best drums available. I was leary of putting drums up on the Web for sale, because I asked myself - "Would I buy a drum off the Web?" No, I wouldn't, because buying a hand carved drum is such a personal thing. Understanding this, I am ready to deal with each prospective buyer in a personal manner to ensure that any drum they buy from Bongo Central will be one they will want to keep for many years. A drum is, after all, like a heartbeat -You don't want a cheap-o, and you don't want to have to trade it in after just a couple years...
These pictures are thumbnails, click on each one of them for a larger image. Sound samples of Bougarabou and Sabar are available with the enlarged images. (Thanks Adam)
Other Bongo Central pages:
Djembe drums from Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Mali. The most powerful hand drums in the world.
Click pics for
larger images.
Dunun, the bass drums of a Djembe ensemble. From the left- Djun-Djun-ba, Sangban, and Kenkeni. From 12 to 18 inches in diameter and skinned with heavy cowhide, these are carved from solid Dembu ( Dimba) logs.
Prices:
Solid log Djun-Djun: $650
Solid log Sangban: $350
Solid log Kenkeni: $250
Click
for a larger image.
Two Djembes from Senegal, carved from Nim (Neem) wood logs. Nim is distinctive for its deep red heartwood and pale yellow outer wood. It is lighter in weight than Dimba but quite hard and durable, with better acoustical properties than soft mango wood which is often used for inferior djembes, in my opinion. Most Djembes from Senegal are carved from Dimba, a species of African mahogany, a hard and dark brown wood. Two of these are pictured at the top of this page. All Djembes at Bongo Central are priced at $300, unless some very special ones come in..
Click
for a larger image.
Djembes from Mali, carved from Nim (Neem) wood, roped and polished in the US at Bongo Central.
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for a larger image.
Sabar drums, from the Wolof people of Senegal. From the left, Mbung Mbung Bal, Mbung Mbung, two Tama (talking drums), N'Der (Sabar), Lambe (Chol), and Mbung Mbung Tungone. Carved from Dimba wood, also a common wood for Djembes from Senegal. Not pictured - Gorong, Gorong Yeguel, and Khrin. Sabar is played with one stick and one open hand. They easily rival the Djembe for pure power and with six basic tones available from each drum the possible tonal complexity is extraordinary for a hand drum. How is a sabar tuned? Go here.
Prices:
Mbung Mbungs: $325
Mbung Mbung Tungone: $275
Lambe: $400
N'Der (Sabar): $450
Tama: $200
Click for a larger image
Bougarabou drums, also from Senegal, carved from solid dembu logs and skinned with cowhide. Played as single drums or in sets of up to four drums by one player. From 23 to 30 inches tall with 9-12" heads.The sound of these drums is somewhat similar to that of the more familiar Conga drums, but the tonal range available from each drum is much broader. They have a very round, resonant, bell-like character. Leaving the hair on the heads gives them a soft, warm sound.Traditionally played wearing wrist bells.
Prices:
Bougarabou, all sizes: $350 each.
Pairs: $650
Trios: $900
Wrist Bells (not pictured yet. Double banana bells rivetted to a 4-5" wide haired, padded calf hide belt, with bell clappers and ring jingles): $90 per pair.
Talking Drums, from Niger, Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal. Plese contact us for current availability and Prices.
Laube people working in a drum building yard in Dakar, Senegal. Click to enlarge.
If you have any questions about these drums or want ordering information just email us at bob@bongocentral.com
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The sound files of Kutiro, Bougarabou, and Sabar courtesy of Village Pulse; the best source for magnificent recordings of exotic African drums. They also have more great background information on these drums.
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