Motherland Music Drums

601 N. Eucalyptus Ave.
Inglewood, CA 90302
Local: (310) 673-8000 | Fax: (310) 673-8000
Toll-Free: (888) 419-0515

Rhythm
Begins
HERE!

Motherland Music offers
more than 200 types of African drums.
Ashanti drums, Ashikos, Batás, Bougarabous, Bréketes, Congas, Djembes, Dounduns, Ekwes, Ewe drums, Kpanlogos, Krins, Ngomas, Nyabhingis, Sabars, Sákaras, Talking Drums, Udus, and so much more!
We also service well what we sell.

Place an Order: Click here for our Toll-Free Telephone, Fax Number, Email, Map and Mailing Addresses


Ghana	Ivory Coast	Mali	Nigeria

Instruments are listed alphabetically.


Adowa Drums - Tribal drums from the Ashanti Central Region of Ghana. The fontomfrom drum family (either in part, or all drums) and others are traditionally played at many community and regional events.	There are many, many different drums in Ghana, but to Dan the fontomfrom best represents the remarkable, proud cultural and spiritual traditions of Ghana, because it is imposing and tribal in	appearance, but nevertheless musical in sound. Each Motherland Music Ashanti drum is hand-carved in Africa!

Ashanti Drums
Name	Size	Price
Fontomfrom	16" × 54"	900.
Atumpan	14" × 32"	500.
Apentema	9" × 23"	350.
Apetia	7" × 21"	250.
Angled stick		15.
Straight stick		2.

These high-quality drums are carved from Tweneboa wood, a resonant, somewhat plentiful preferred drum making wood in Ghana. The skins are stretched over the tops of the drum shells and fastened with strong pegs that fit snugly in the drum shell. The tall fontomfrom drum has a thunderous sound (the drum sound imitates it's name) that, played correctly, can be heard from a long distance.

Timbre-wise, atumpans are more mid-range and complement the bassy fontomfroms well. Both of these types of drums are headed with a medium to heavy cow skin. The apentema is similar in sound to a conga and is played with hands or sticks. The apetia is the baby drum—played with two sticks, it is tuned to make a bright sound.

Measurements, designs, and availabilities of specific styles and sizes vary.

Please check with us to find out what drums we currently have in stock. Once or twice a year we can possibly put in a special group order for your school or other organization (if you don't mind waiting for the drums to be carved and assembled and for the shipment to clear customs—it takes at least 4-6 months. Please contact Dan if you need more details.).

Ashiko - Tapered-cylindrical hand drum probably originally of African origin. We offer Ashikos mostly carved in Ghana. This is a very popular style of drum for beginners and world-music percussionsists as its tone is warm and versatile. The

Ashikos we carry bear an aural resemblance to Ibo-style or Yoruba-style "Congas" as well as some other less-well-known African drums. Headed with either goat skin or cow skin, our traditionally-carved drums use Mali-weave rope with metal rings for tuning.

To maximize its tonal range, the skin may be tuned to a fixed mid-range pitch (fundamental/harmonic)—larger ashikos offer proportionately larger range both tonally and dynamically.

	Drum Size	Price
		Cow	Goat
	10" × 20"	220.	165.
14" × 28" Ashikos from Ghana,	12" × 24"	299.	225.
cow skin (l.), goat skin (r.)	14" × 28"	340.	300.

Bada - Made from a large gourd with a top section cut off, a goat skin is fastened to the gourd

with rope and tuned using Mali weave. Produces a mellow, slightly-resonant tone that mixes well with

warm-toned balafons popular with musicians in the Sahel region of Africa.

Size	Price
13"	120.
16"	150.

Batá - Cuban-Style, carved in Mali or Ghana - Hyperbola-shaped Yoruba ritual drums carved from Lenke or other heavy hardwood and headed with goat skin or cow skin using choice of rope or bolt tuning and metal or wood rings. Shoulder straps available separately. While the "Traditional" batá may be indicated for certain ritual musical contexts, these "Modern" Cuban-style batá drums using full modern rope tuning are capable of producing very clear, full tones—making them ideal for larger ensembles featuring Cuban-Yorúbàn music, and using the high-quality rope supplied, they will hold tunings somewhat longer than the "Traditional" strap-tuned versions.

To date, we have found no batá drums superior in durability or sound to Motherland Music's heavy hardwood shell Cuban-Style batás, nor any more durable for extended playing life than with cow skin, which with no intention to disrespect or discredit any religious tradition has been used on many types of African drums for centuries. Nigerian traditional drums do still use goat skin, whereas in Cuba, cow skin is more common. Good news: we import batá shells from various sources in Melina, Dougará, Ngoni, Lenke, (from Mali), and Tweneboa (from Ghana) woods (supply and selection is of course limited; these are not mass-production instruments). Because we pay the same no matter the wood, so do you. Take your pick of what we have in stock for the listed price!

People ask if we have classes in batá drumming, and the answer is 'yes and no'... we do feature Afro-Cuban conga drumming twice weekly (Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings), and you can arrange with the instructor of either class to get some instruction on batá rhythms and techniques as a supplement to the usual curriculum (and/or in private study). We suggest picking up some of the great Cantos Afrocubanos books by our own instructor Luca Brandoli and either study the rhythms with him or with our other great Afro-Cuban drumming instructor Gary Craigwell.

Melina Wood: Cow Skin, Wood Rings

Dougara & Ngoni Wood Batá

*Cuban-Style Batá Drums*	Goat Skin (Metal Rings)	Goat Skin (Wood Rings)	Cow Skin (Metal Rings)	Cow Skin (Wood Rings)
Okonkolo - 5" & 7" × 20"	225.	300.	275.	350.
Itotole - 6" & 9" × 25"	300.	375.	350.	425.
Iyá - 7" & 12" × 27"	400.	475.	450.	525.

Iyá - 7" & 13" × 27"	450.	525.	500.	575.

Set of 3 - 12" iyá	825.	975.	925.	1100.
Set of 3 - 13" iyá	900.	1050.	1000.	1200.

Lenke Wood, Cow Skin & Wood Rings

Melina Wood

Batá Shells,

Learn about Batá

Mali Batá shells

West African
Hardwood Batá
set of 3-shells
with 12" Iyá: 400.
13" Iyá: 450

{Orishas}e

ツ

YouTube

Wikipedia

Kabiosile

Batá - Yorúbàn-Style, carved in Nigera - Hyperbola-shaped Yoruba ritual drums carved from Oma wood and headed with goatskin. Leather strap (Indian tabla-style) tuning. Fabric shoulder strap and leather playing stick included.

Note: Drum exteriors may be 'stained' with natural chalk-type powder colors that are not entirely colorfast, meaning some (non-toxic) powder may rub off (temporarily 'staining' the player's hands/clothing). Given the spiritual context for which these drums are prepared,

this is to be expected; the 'stain' does not affect these instruments' aural qualities, and like their Mali-carved modern cousins, these drums are suitable for a full range of musical styles.

	Yorúbàn Batá
	Iyá Ilu 8" & 6" × 28"	450.
	Middle 7" & 5" × 20"	300.
	Omele 4" x 9"	175.
	*All sizes are approximate.

Bongolo - Unique African ceremonial/ritual type drum. The drums we currently have in stock are headed with thick cow skin (other choices are possible), has three feet carved into the shell (forming its own built-in rugged drum stand). Has a small sound opening to enhance sub-audio bass. Suitable for Afro-Cuban and world music contexts, could be construed as a cross between a dundun and a conga, and is playable by hands or using sticks or mallets.

Like most of our African drums, these are carved from solid logs and are not produced in mass quantities.

Bongolos
Extra-Tall (Special)	Small & Medium Sizes	Set of 3 (11", 12", 14")	Size	Price
			11" × 24"	350.
			12" × 24"	400.
			14" × 25"	450.
			Set of all 3 above sizes	950.
			MM Special Extra-Tall	500.

Bougarabou - Ashiko (tapered-cylindrical)-type drum headed with cow skin.

Versatile folkloric/conga drum sound with good bass (depends on head tension) in a comparatively

lightweight and portable package. Traditional rope tuning, easily fine tuned with Mali weave.

Bougarabous*
			Drum Size (Origin)	Price*
			11" × 24" (Ivory Coast)	300.
			11" × 25" (Mali)	350.
			12" × 25" (Ivory Coast)	350.
			12" × 25" (Mali)	400.
			13" × 24" (Ivory Coast)	400.
			13" × 25" (Mali)	450.

Mali (l.), Ivory Coast Bougarabous (r.)	Ivory Coast Bougarabous	Ivory Coast Bougarabou Shells

Brékete/Gungon - Double-headed bass drum with goatskin both sides, and snare string stretched across the skin

to produce the traditional African buzzing timbre. This fairly small drum can make a powerful, thunderous sound.

Shoulder strap and curved playing stick are included. Plain or carved exterior; your choice of Melina or Tweneboa wood at no additional cost.

Melina (Plain Ext.)

Tweneboa
(Plain Exterior)

Tweneboa
(Carved Exterior)

Bréketes/Gungons
Size	Plain Exter.	Carved Exter.
10" × 10"	150.	175.
12" × 12"	220.	250.
14.5" × 14.5"	275.	300.
16" × 16"	325.	375.

Conga - These Afro-Cuban style drums are hand-caved from a tree trunk in the traditional Cuban conga shape, from single hardwood log in Ghana or Mali. They are specially fitted with custom Motherland Music hardware,and headed with cow skin.

The shells are hand polished with an oil mixture and coated with either polyurethane varnish or wax. These drums are very unique, and sound as beautiful as they look.

We get many rave reviews on the externally-carved congas' appearance! They look great on stage, too.

Carved 1-Piece Shell (MM-Assembled) Congas
Mali Shells (Melina)	Set of 2 (Ngoni/Rope)	Set of 3 (Stained Melina)	Size	Lugs	Price
			10" × 29"	5	400
			11" × 29"	6	425
			12" × 29"	6	450
			13" × 29"	7	475
			14" × 29"	7	500

Available in 11", 12", & 13" with 'band carving'	Ghana Shells (Plain, l., Carved Exterior, r.)	Two Sets-of-2 (Mali,Treated**)	Buy Beauty AND Quality (MM-Assembled Drums)

**Treated with oil & wax and/or varnish to preferred wood finish appearance.

We offer rectangular or round custom-fabricated conga counterhoops in your preference of 5-, 6-, or 7-lug (typical, or more on request) configurations.

The two custom-ordered Djala wood Congas shown top left of the lower-right image above feature innovative one-piece tension lugs/bands that eliminate drilling "thru" holes in drum shells (they're very strong, designed by Dan too)!

Legacy "M" lugs are discontinued. If you need more details, please contact us via e-mail
(drums@motherlandmusic.com).

Djembe - The Djembe (aka Jembe) is the most popular drum in Africa, played by all ages at all types of gatherings, and especially for traditional functions such as parties, holidays, weddings and the like. In the Mandingo culture, the djembe (brought down in a centuries-old tradition of master carvers whose modern-day descendants carry on the highly-skillful art of drum [and other] carving) has been developed into a fine art. Djembes often bear

beautiful detailed designs and drum geometry that identify them as more than functional art... words cannot express the deep spirital nature of the djembe and its musical traditions. The djembe came into being in west Africa, where its playing (along with the Dundun and Balafon as music for west African dances) has also developed into a fine art.

At Motherland Music, we also host a number of excellent classes for you to learn from a master drummer. What is a Master Drummer? The short answer is come into the store and check out a master drummer's class!

Djembes*

Ghana

Ivory Coast

Mali

Mali Shells

Guinea

Ghana makes so many types... MM gets mostly the best!

We also offer pro djembe shells
only - from Ivory Coast!

We carry some Kangaba & other
Hi-Q unsigned drums from Mali.

Our new djembe shells from Mali are First Class!

Noted for high quality, incl. special custom selection.

Stock Medium- and Full-Sized*

Country	Dia. × H.	Price	Country	Dia. × H.	Price
Ghana, plain	12" × 24"	200.	Mali	5" x 8"	30.
Ghana, design	12" × 25"	250.	Mali	8" x 12"	75.
Ghana, plain	13" × 25"	250.	Mali	9" x 17"	130.
Ghana, design	13" × 25"	300.	Mali	10" x 19"	150.
			Mali	11.5" x 22"	275.
Ivory Coast	12" × 24"	300.	Mali	13" x 24.5"	400.
Ivory Coast, cow skin	12" × 24"	375.	Mali, cow skin	13" x 24.5"	450.
Ivory Coast	13" × 25"	350.	Mali	14" × 25"	450.
Ivory Coast, cow skin	13" × 25"	400.	Mal, cow skin	14" × 25 "	500.
	13" × 24"	350	Mali	15" x 26"	500.

Drums are hand-carved in Africa sizes are + or - 1/2"

Metal tuning hardware is available (like congas) on most drums, call for more information.

Synthic heads available on 13" drums.

Senegal

Burkina Faso

Dondo - Talking drum from Ghana, a variable-pitch drum played with a curved stick by squeezing

it under the player's arm. Two types are available; in the picture below, the slightly smaller

Hausa type is depicted on the left, the Dagomba type is shown on the right.

Hausa (l.), Dagomba (r.).

Dondos
Size	Price
6" × 16"	150
7" × 17"	175
12" curved stick	12
13" curved stick	15

Ekwe - Two-tone Ibo log drum. Currently only available in red hardwood (Padauk/Vermillion).

Played with either a plain wooden stick or a rubber-tipped beater.

These wood log drums are found in the eastern part of Nigeria. Click here for more information on these drums.

Ekwes
Size	Yellow Wood	Red Wood
Mini (4" × 10")	N/A	60
Small (6" × 16")	N/A	90
Medium (8" × 19")	N/A	160
Large (10" × 22")	N/A	250
X-Large (12" × 24")	N/A	300
Small beater:	N/A	8
Medium beater:	N/A	10
Large beater:	N/A	12
Stand (large):	N/A	40

Ewe Drums - Antelope (aka Bush Deer) skin. Peg tuning. Two types are available: Regular Quality and Better Quality. Each Motherland Ewe drum is carved from a solid piece of wood for low-maintenance use. Better Quality Ewe drums are made sturdier with a more-robust tuning system and better-fitted skins & pegs; they are pre-tuned

—virtually no maintenance is required. Older, hoop-and-stave construction drums still used in Ghana are available on special order, but we do not guarantee them as long. All drums pictured below are carved from a solid log. Better Quality drums are usually stained deep-burgundy brown.

Regular Quality drums are usually finished with shea butter or an oil and wax polish. Most of our Ewe drums from recent shipments are Better Quality (usually with darker finish and featuring more-elaborate exterior carvings).


Ewe Drum Set - Reg. Quality (clockwise fr. l.) Sogo, Kidi, Kagan, Astimevu, Boba, Kroboto (with 2 Gankoquis, Axatse)	Ewe & Ashanti Drums - Better Quality (Large Sizes) (L to R): Ewe Atsimevu, 2 Ashanti Fontomfroms (rear), Boba (front)	Ewe Drums - Better Quality (Smaller Sizes) 3 Agbadza Sets* (with Kroboto and Totodzi)*

Ewe Drums
	Drum Name	Drum Head Dia. × Height*	Plain Wood	Polished & Designed	Learn more about Ewe Drums & Drumming
	Atsimevu	9" × 48"	450.	-	Atsimevu (MM/CKL)
	Atsimevu	10" × 54"	549.	695.	Atsimevu (Ladzekpo)
	Sogo	9-10"" × 25"	350	445.	Sogo (Ladzekpo/MM)
	Kidi	8-9" × 23"	299.	399.	Kidi (Ladzekpo/MM)
	Kagan	7"-8" × 22"	195	349.	Kagan (Ladzekpo/MM)
	Kroboto	10" × 18"	195	249.	Kroboto (Ladzekpo/MM)
	Totodzi	9" × 18"	195	249.	Totodzi (YouTube)
	Boba	15" × 32"	499.	550.	Boba (MM/Ladzekpo)
	Playing stick (natural wood) for Sogo, Kidi, Kagan, Kroboto			3.	Ewe Drumming General Article/ Page (Wikipedia)
	Playing stick (natural wood) for Atsimevu, Boba, Totodzi			4.	Ewe Drumming General Article/ Page (Wikipedia)
Drum Head Diameter and Height usually smaller on plain wood drums

Kpanlogo - Conga-shaped peg-tuned drum headed with antelope skin.

A staple of Ghana percussion, this versatile drum can be played with sticks and/or hands. Produces a warm, full, semi-conga-like

tone that is a proud hallmark of many traditional Ghana rhythm styles.

Kpanlogos
	Kpanlogo Ivory Coast	Kpanlogo [2] Ghana	Size	Price
				250. 275. 300.
			9" × 24"
			10" × 25"
			11" × 26"

Gudugudu - Small wood bowl drum played with two long thin rawhide sticks, included.

Tuning paste on head enables two-pitch effect. Tuned by hammering wooden wedges

between the bottom metal ring and the drum's base. Hand-carved, hence dimensions are approximate.

Gudugudu
9" × 6"	100.
Extra 12" stick	2.

Igba - Short, stout open-bottom tom-tom-like drum from eastern Nigeria. Slung from the shoulder, played with a curved stick, included.

Antelope skin, wedge tuning. Traditionally used for intricate, rapid playing (like a variable-pitch talking drum); has a

semi-open, fairly "throaty" tone.

Click here for more information on these drums.

Igbas
Small (7" × 11")	80.
Medium (8 1/2" × 12")	100.
Large (10" × 13")	140.
Extra 9" curved stick	10.

Igba,Tall - Open bottom tom-tom like drum with wedge tuning. This Nigerian drum is headed with Antelope

skin and played with a curved stick (included). Notched at the base to allow the sound to escape.

Similar to an Ngoma in sound, it produces deep, bassy notes. Click here for more information on these drums.

Tall Igbas
6" × 38"	120.
7.5" × 40"	145.
9" × 42"	185.

Kete Drum Set - A handsome set of four drums from the Ashanti region decorated with

characteristic red and black checkerboard cloth. Large drum (kwadum or kwedun) is headed

with cow skin; others are headed with antelope skin. This set ships with seven (7) playing sticks.

Kete Set
	Set	Price
	Four (4) Drums	895

Ngoma - Tall Mali cow skin (or goat skin) Congolese-style drum, played with hands like a conga

or with sticks (not recommended on goat skin version). Please contact us for availability

of specific ngomas; all decorative carving is done in Africa.

Mali, Ghana	Ghana, Mali	Origin	Size	Price
		Ghana	11" x 44"	400.
		Ghana	12" x 44"	425.
		Ghana	13" x 44"	445.

		Mali	11" x 44"	430.
		Mali	12" x 44"	455.
		Mali	13" x 44"	475.
		*Note: Standard head is Medium to thick Cow skin Ngomas sometimes have a decorative carvings on their shells.

Sákara - Common Yoruba ceramic and goat skin drum. Played in ensenble with larger ones soloing and smaller ones keeping time. Wood playing stick included.

Small sizes produce nice, tight sound. Larger sizes produce longer sustains.

Tune down by rubbing a few drops of water on skin, tune up by tapping on tuning pegs.

Size	Price
4"	15.
6"	20.
8"	28.
10.5"	36.
12"	45.
13.5"	57.
Extra Stick	2.

Sabar from Senegal -The sabar is an orginal Senegal drum. It is traditionally played by the Wolof people in a drum ensemble of a family of three basic types of drums (thiol, mbeng-mbeng, and n'der).

The shells are beautifully-carved dimba wood stained one of a variety of colors and are finished with varnish or wax. The shells are covered with select goatskins tensioned by a webbing-peg system. Normally played using one flexible stick and one hand. Easily tuned by adjusting knots in the webbings under the tuning pegs.

Wolofs live in various countries, however their ancestral homeland is in southern Senegal. You can learn Sabar drumming right here at Motherland Music on Mondays and Fridays (see our Classes page for more info. Sabar is very unique!

Mbëŋ-Mbëŋ (Wolof language; also spelled Mbeng-Mbeng in Latin alphabet; pronounced "Bung-Bung").

Mbeng-Mbengs (l.) are available in three basic sizes (large, medium, small), setup may vary:
1) The [usually more-
    decorated] mbeng-
    mbeng bal,
2) [regular] mbeng-mbeng,
    and
3) [substantially smaller]
    mbeng-mbeng tungone.

Red-stained
N'der

Not pictured: Thiol (pronounced "Choal" aka Lambe), the Sabar bass drum resembling the Mbeng-Mbeng at far left, yet somewhat larger and with a closed bottom, and Goron-yege (similar to Thiol but set up for soloing instead of bass and is not currently available).

Sabars
Drum Name	Price
N'der	450
Mbëŋ-Mbëŋ (Bal - $325-350 or Tungone - $300-325)	300 to 350
Goron-yege	(Not available)
Thiol/Lambe	450

Want more information on Sabar drums and drumming? Ask Pape, Baye Balla, or Thiane Diouf, our resident Wolof Griot Sabar/Tama master drummers!

Square Drum (Samba) Made in Yorubaland from sawed wood (not hand-carved) with either

goat skin (two smaller sizes)or antelope skin, playable by hand or using sticks. Wedge-tuned.

Square Drums
Size	Price
9" × 9"	40
11" × 11"	50
12" × 16"	110
14" × 19"	140

Talking Drum - Hourglass-shaped variable-pitch drum from the Yoruba region of Nigeria. These drums are used

for entertaining guests at weddings and other ceremonies and ocassions. Goatskin heads, hardwood shell.

Shoulder strap and curved stick are included. Click here to find out more about the different sizes of Talking drums and their respective roles.

Talking Drums, Nigerian (Yoruba)
	Size	Price
	5 1/2" × 11"	150.
	6" x 16"	200.
	7" × 17"	250.
	8" × 18"	325.
	9" × 19"	400.
	10" × 20"	450.
	Igbaju & Soworo (2 pcs.)	85.
	Curved stick, small	10.
	medium	12.
	large	14.

Tama - This talking (variable-pitch) drum is from Senegal. Its Dimba wood shell is carved in an hourglass shape. A strong wound-cotton cord is used for changing pitch (this is done

by squeezing the drum under one of the player's arms while tapping one of its heads with the curved stick in the opposite hand). The heads are lizard skin. A special small curved playing stick is included.

Note: Due to export restrictions, African replacement lizard skins may be unavailable.

If played live, this drum sounds best mic'd and amplified; it has a wide, expressive tonal range.

Tamas (Talking Drums, Senegalese)
	Size	Price
	Small 5" × 11"	150
	Large 6" × 11"	175

Udu - Clay or metal pot drum with attached woven-grass ring base(clay type).

Udus come from the eastern

regions of Nigeria and are played alongside other eastern Nigerian drums like the Ekwe, Igba, Oyo and others.

Click here for more information on these drums.

Size	Price
Large (15" × 21")	180.
Extra paddle	12.

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