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| 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! Unfamiliar with these fine hardwoods? |
Try Googling them from the Internet, or come to our workshop to see and touch our drums and shells firsthand. 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.
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Melina Batá Set: Cow Skin, Wood Rings |
Dougará, Ngoni Wood Batá Sets
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| |
Cuban-Style Batá Drums |
|
| Name (Size)* |
Goat Skin
(Metal Rings)
|
Goat Skin
(Wood Rings) |
Cow Skin
(Metal Rings) |
Cow Skin
(Wood Rings) |
| Iyá Ilu (7" & 12" × 27") |
390 |
445 |
415 |
475 |
| Iyá Ilu (7" & 13" × 27") |
440 |
450 |
450 |
515 |
| Itotole (6" & 9" × 25") |
340 |
390 |
365 |
400 |
| Okonkolo (5" & 7" × 20") |
250 |
300 |
275 |
320 |
| Set of 3 with Regular Iyá |
865 |
1000 |
895 |
1195 |
| Set of 3 with Larger Iyá |
940
|
1075 |
970 |
1275 |
| *All sizes are approximate. In Yorubaland, drum names also vary. Please specify wood type when ordering! |
|
Lenke Batá Set, Cow Skin, Wood Rings |
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| Batá Shells, Melina Wood |
Batá
Set Shells,
Lenke Wood (l.), Melina (r.) |
Oma Wood "Omele"
Batá
(aka "3-in-1") |
Tweneboa Batá Shells (Maroon) |
Learn about Batá |
Title of Forthcoming
Batá Video |
 |
West African (Mali/Ghana)
Hardwood Batá Shells (only)
Prices (set of 3):
with Regular 12" Iyá: 380
with Larger 13" Iyá: 425
|
Traditional (Yorúbà-Style) |
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YouTube
Wikipedia
Kabiosile
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| 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. |
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| |
Yorúbàn-Style Batás |
|
| Name (Size)* |
Price |
| Iyá Ilu (8" & 4" × 28") |
350 |
| Middle (7" & 3.5" × 20") |
300 |
Omele (aka 3-in-1; 4", 3.5"
& 3"× 9") × 3 drums |
195 |
| *All sizes are approximate. In Yorubaland, drum names also vary. |
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| 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. |
Available in a set of three (11" × 22" [reg. $350], 12" × 24" [reg. $400], and 13" × 26" [reg. $450] - at a package price of only $965) or as regularly-priced individual drums. Limited availability. Like most of our African drums, these are carved from solid logs and are not produced in mass quantities. |
Please contact us to check current stock, including professional instruments like the Motherland Music exclusive Custom Extra-Tall (Special Ceremonial) Bongolo hand-made in Cote D'Ivôire to Dan's demanding specifications (please click on image below for larger image). |
| |
Bongolos |
|
| Custom 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 |
965 |
MM Custom
Extra-Tall |
895 |
| |
| 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" × 23" (Ivory Coast) |
290 |
| 11" × 25" (Mali) |
320 |
| 12" × 24" (Ivory Coast) |
325 |
| 12" × 25" (Mali) |
350 |
| 13" × 24" (Ivory Coast) |
360 |
| 13" × 25" (Mali) |
390 |
| *For stock items. Custom-assembled drums (with choice of ropes and skin) add 15-20% depending upon choices. |
| Mali (l.), Ivory Coast Bougarabous (r.) |
Ivory Coast Bougarabous |
Ivory Coast Bougarabou Shells |
| |
| Brékete/Gungon - Double-headed bass drum with goatskin both sides, and rawhide snare stringstretched 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" |
200 |
230 |
| 14.5" × 14.5" |
250 |
285 |
| 16" × 16" |
300 |
340 |
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| Conga - These Afro-Cuban style drums are hand-caved from a tree trunk in the traditional Cuban conga shape, from single Tweneboa logs 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! |
| 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). |
| 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
(Regular Quality) |
Kpanlogo [2]
(Special Quality)* |
Size |
Price
|
|
| Regular |
Special |
 |
 |
9" × 24" |
190 |
250 |
| 10" × 25" |
220 |
300 |
| 11" × 26" |
250 |
350 |
*Special quality Kpanlogo drums are very profesionally carved and assembled.
Please check for current availability. |
| |
| 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 |
| Size |
Price |
| 9" × 6" |
95 |
| 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 |
| Size |
Price |
| 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 |
| Size |
Price |
| 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. |
| Ngomas* |
| |
Mali, Ghana |
Ghana, Mali |
Origin |
Size
(Head Dia.) |
Price |
|
 |
 |
Ghana |
11" |
380 |
| Ghana |
12" |
400 |
| Ghana |
13" |
420 |
| Mali |
11" |
380 |
| Mali |
12" |
400 |
| Mali |
13" |
420 |
*Note: Medium-thick cow skin is
standard (unless goat is specified).
We can also customize ngomas
to suit your preferences.
|
| |
| Sákara - Ceramic ring drum headed with goat skin, played with wood stick, included. |
Small sizes produce nice, tight sound. Larger sizes produce longer sustains. |
Tunable by warm water immersion and tapping included tuning pegs. |
 |
| Sákaras |
| Size |
Price |
| 4" |
15 |
| 6" |
20 |
| 8" |
25 |
| 10.5" |
35 |
| 12" |
45 |
| 13.5" |
55 |
| Extra Stick |
1 |
|
| Motherland Music is pleased to present the best of Senegal. We now offer the finest-sounding, most elegantly designed and highest quality of craftsmanship and materials used for drums being made in Senegal. Shell wood is exclusively Dimba. |
Our Senegal drums often have unique and distinctive design features (especially the djembes, which often feature a wide-flared base and deep bowl) like distinctive stain in one or more of the flag colors of Senegal (red, yellow, green). |
Sometimes a few natural-color cowrie shells are inset in the base section of Senegal (and other) djembes for decorative effect. |
 Quality Senegal Djun-djuns, Djembes, and Sabar drums.
| Djembe from Senegal, Special - Two styles are available, 'Guinean' (flared-stem, flares out at base) and 'Malian' (less flared, curves in slightly at base). Both types are made with Dimba wood and most are decorated with intricate designs on the foot of the stem and artistically- |
carved symbols or geometric designs on the central section of the stem. All the wood is highly polished on the outside with multiple coats of varnish; different areas on the djembe body may be stained or painted to reveal contrasting sections of smooth and decorative-design wood.
|
In a word, these drums have "style."
They sound great, too! |
| Senegal Djun-djun (cow hide heads) - The shells are constructed from the best Dimba (aka Bush Mango) trees and are carved evenly to a fairly light weight. The wood is stained a solid color, red, green or, yellow, and then finished with a hand-applied varnish or wax. |
and the shell may bedecorated with an image of a baobab tree. Also available with unstained, undecorated natural wood color. Headed with medium-thick cow hide—its (short) hair is left on for a warm tonal quality. The rings fit tight to the shell and a heavy-duty rope is used. |
This type of drum serves as the heartbeat/bass of a djembe / balafon dance-music ensemble... djembefolas rely on doundun (aka djun-djun, dounou, or dundun) players for tempo stability, and rhythmic phrasing. |
 |
| Djun-Djuns (Senegal) |
| Name & Size |
Price |
| Kenkeni 10" × 16" |
300 |
| Sangban 12" × 18" |
350 |
| Djun-djun 13 1/2" × 23" |
400 |
|
| 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 (thoil, 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.! |
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):
1) The [usually more-
decorated] mbeng-
mbeng bal,
2) [plain] mbeng-mbeng,
and
3) [substantially smaller]
mbeng-mbeng tungone. | Red-stained
N'der | Not pictured: Thiol (aka Lambe), the Sabar bass drum resembling the Mbeng-Mbeng shown, but slightly larger (with closed bottom), and Goron-yege (similar to Thiol but set up for soloing instead of bass). |
| Sabars |
| Sabar Drum Name |
Price |
| N'der |
450 |
Mbëŋ-Mbëŋ
(Bal or Tungone) |
300
- 350 |
| Goron-yege |
N/A |
| Thiol/Lambe |
450 |
|
Need more info. on Sabar drums and drumming? Ask Pape, Baye Balla, or Thiane Diouf, our resident Wolof Griot Sabar/Tama master drummers! |
| Square Drum - Frame drum made from sawed wood (not hand-carved) with either |
goat skin or antelope skin, playable by hand or using sticks. Wedge-tuned. |
 |
| Square Drums |
| Size |
Price |
| 9" × 9" |
35 |
| 11" × 11" |
44 |
| 12" × 16" |
80 |
| 14" × 19" |
100 |
|
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| Yoruba Talking Drums |
| Size |
Price |
| 5 1/2" × 12" |
150 |
| 7" × 17" |
250 |
| 8" × 18" |
325 |
| 9" × 19" |
400 |
| 10" × 20" |
450 |
| Igbaju & Soworo (2 pieces) |
85 |
| Curved stick (small) |
10 |
| Curved stick (medium) |
12 |
| Curved stick (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 tensioning (varied by squeezing the drum under the player's arm).
The heads are lizard skin. A small curved playing stick is included. |
Note: African replacement lizard skins may be unavailable due to export restrictions. Best amplified if played live. |
 |
| Tamas |
| Size |
Price |
| Small 5" × 11" |
150 |
| Large 6" × 11" |
175 |
|
 |
| Udus |
| Size |
Price |
| Small (10" × 15") |
90 |
| Medium (12" × 17") |
130 |
| Large (15" × 21") |
180 |
| Extra paddle |
12 |
|
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