Instruments are listed alphabetically by country.

Drums from Ghana

GROUP#: MMD001

ADOWA DRUMS - Tribal drums from Ashanti Central Region. The fontomfrom drum family either in part or all drums and others are played traditionally at many events. There are many, many different drums in Ghana but to me the fontomfrom best represent the country.

The drums are carved from tweneboa wood, a resonant, somewhat plentiful preferred drum making wood in Ghana.  The skins are stretched over the tops and fastened  with strong pegs that fit tightly into the drum shell body. The fontomfrom, the tall drum has a thunderous sound which when beat correctly can be heard from a long distance. The atumpans tonally, are more mid-range and compliment the bassey frontomfrom well. Both 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 stick. The apetia is the baby, played with two sticks it is tuned to make a sharp sound.

Measurements and designs vary. Please ask what we have available.

GROUP#: MMD002

BREKETE - Double headed bass drum with goatskin. Has snare string stretched across skin to make buzzing sound.  Has powerful, thunderous sound. Shoulder strap and long curved stick included. 

GROUP#: MMD003

 11" ,  12",  & 13"  with  band carving

plain and designed

GROUP#: MMD004

CEREMONIAL DRUM - Carved to three different shapes. These drums are headed with Antelope skin using rope and peg tuning, and can be played by hand or with a stick.

GROUP#: MMD005

DJEMBE FROM GHANA - Carved to a fairly even thickness, left a little thicker at their bottoms, these djembes are made from tweneboa, a mahogany/cedar type wood that is lightweight and durable and used almost exclusively for drum making wood in Ghana. We offer both the typical Ghana style with double cradle knots and either line or deep design carvings on the leg, or a plain wood shell usually with a single step at the drums foot.

GROUP#: MMD006

DONDO - Talking drum from Ghana.  Variable pitch drum. Two types available, Hausa on right, Dagomba on left.

hausa type left, dagomba on right

GROUP#: MMD007

EWE DRUMS - Two types available. Carved or hoop and stave construction. Antelope skin. Peg tuning. Carved type drums shown in picture.

GROUP#: MMD008

KETE DRUMS - Set of four drums decorated with red and black checks from the Ashanti region. Large drum headed with cow skin, others with antelope skin.

GROUP#: MMD009

KPANLOGO - Conga shaped pegged drum headed with antelope skin.

GROUP#: MMD010

KPANLOGO (SPECIAL QUALITY) - Special quality Kpanlogo drums which are beautifully carved. These Kpanlogo drums are the finest we've seen and played.

GROUP#: MMD011

BOUGARABOU - Ashiko type drum with goatskin. Djembe sound. Rope tension. Easily tuned with Mali weave.

ghana boug. on right

Drums from The Ivory Coast

GROUP#: MMD012

BADA - Made from a large gourd with the top third cut off, a goat skin is fastened to the gourd with rope and tuned using mali weave.  Makes a nice clear tone.

GROUP#: MMD013

BOUGARABOU - Rope-tuned conga-type drums headed with cow skin.

GROUP#: MMD014

DJEMBE FROM THE IVORY COAST - These sturdy djembes are carved from Iroko wood and tune up nicely, capable of crisp slaps, earthy tones and deep bass notes. The wood is medium density, straight grained and very stable.   The rings are carefully fitted and the top ring is pulled down enough for a big comfortable playing edge.  A good quality non-stretch rope is used for tuning.  

GROUP#: MMD015

DOUNDOUNS straight and clean   -   Same wood as djembes. the shells are cut straight and clean

dundun set, 3-drums   850.00

GROUP#: MMD016

SQUARE DRUMS - Frame drums made from sawn boards covered with goatskin, played by hand or with sticks. Wedge tuned.

Drums from Mali

GROUP#: MMD017

DJEMBE FROM MALI - These quality instruments are among the best you will find. The drums are made entirely by hand by master sculptors of Mali, West Africa.

dugara,  ngoni and jala woods              

  linke wood djembes      

GROUP#: MMD018

DJUN DJUN headed with cow skin - Carved from a solid log to about 3/4" thick, this is the bass drum heart beat in many drumming ensembles. Rope-tuned and headed with cow skin, it is played with an included heavy stick.

GROUP#: MMD019

CONGAS hardwood -These drum shells are hand carved from  one piece of wood, same as above djembes. Assembled by Motherland with heavy all steel tuning hardware or with a rope tuning system.  

goni wood       

dugaru wood             

light weight wood, stained red                                                                                                                        

Drums from Nigeria

GROUP#: MMD020

BATA - Hourglass shaped Yoruba ritual drums carved from Oma wood and skinned with goatskin heads. Shoulder strap and leather playing stick included.

GROUP#: MMD021

BATA Cuban Style 

GROUP#: MMD022

EKWE - Two tone Ibo log drum. Available in two types of hardwood. Played with either a plain wooden stick, or a rubber-tipped beater. These  wooden drums are found in the eastern part of Nigeria. Click here for more information on these drums.

GROUP#: MMD023

GUDUGUDU - Small wood kettledrum played with two long thin rawhide sticks. Tuning paste on head produces two tone effect. Tuned with wood wedges against an iron ring at the base.

GROUP#: MMD024

IGBA - Short, stout open bottom tom-tom like drum from eastern Nigeria. Slung from the shoulder, played with an included curved stick. Antelope skin, wedge tuning. Click here for more information on these drums.

GROUP#: MMD025

TALL IGBA -  Tall, open bottom tom-tom like drum with wedge tuning. This Nigerian drum is headed with Antelope skin and is played with a curved stick (included). Click here for more information on these drums.

GROUP#: MMD026

SAKARA - Clay ring covered with goatskin, played with an included stick. Small sizes produce nice, tight sound. Larger sizes produce more resonance.

GROUP#: MMD027

TALKING DRUM - Hourglass shaped variable pitch drum from Yoruba Part. These drums from Nigeria are used for entertaining guests at weddings and other ceremonies and ocassions. Goat skin, hard wood shell. Shoulder strap and curved stick included. Click here to find out more about the different sizes of Talking drums and their  respective roles.

GROUP#: MMD028

UDU - Clay pot drum with attached woven grass ring base. These drums come from the eastern region of Nigeria and are played along side other eastern Nigerian drums such as the Ekwe, Igba, Oyo and others. Click here for more information on these drums.

Drums from Senegal

Motherland Music is pleased to presents he best of Senegal We are now offering the finest sounding, most elegantly designed, the highest quality of craftsmanship and materials used for drums being made in Senegal.

GROUP#: MMD029

DJEMBE FROM SENEGAL -Two styles of djembes are available, Guinean and Malian. Both types are made with dimba wood and are decorated with intrictly design patterns on the foot of the stem and artisticly carved symbols and pictures on the main body of the stem. All the wood is highly polished on the outside with multiable coats of varnish and some areas on the drum body are painted to show a beautiful contrast of smooth wood and decorative design. 

curved foot-Mali style

curved foot- Mali style

GROUP#: MMD030

DJUNDJUN cow hide heads - The shells are constructed from the best dimba trees and are carved evenly to a fairly light weight. The wood is  stained a solid color, red, green or, yellow then highly polished with a hand applied varnish finish and the shell is decorated with a picture of a baobab tree. The heads are medium thick cow hides. The rings fit tight to the shell and a heavy duty rope is used  

GROUP#: MMD031

BOUGARABOU-These Senegalese bougarrbou are masterfully carved from dimba wood. The design, detailing and assembly is exqusite. Headed with cow skin, with tight fitting rings and heavy duty rope. The tones and slaps are exceptional with a very strong bass sound.

GROUP#: MMD032

SABAR from Senegal-The sabar is an orginal Senegal drum. It is traditionally played by the Wolof tribe in a drum ensemble of a family of sabar drums. The shells are bueatifuly carved from dimbe wood, stained various colors and highly polished with a varnish finish. The shells are covered with selected goat skin and held in place with a rope system attached to pegs. Easily tuned by adjusting knot under tuning peg.

left : Beung beung , right : N'der

GROUP#: MMD033

TAMA-This drum is a type of talking drum or variable pitch drum made and played in Senegal. The shell is carved to an hour glass shape from dimba wood. A strong wound cotton cord is used for tensioning. The leather head is from lizzard hide. A small curved playing stick is included.