Our first demonstration of African drumming comes from Nigeria, in the west-central African region. The first thing that you'll notice about this piece is it's rhythmic drive that immediately draws you into the groove. The talking drums, with their unique pitch-bending sound, provide the melody that is a foundation to all African drumming. It is made of hollowed-out pieces of wood with an hourglass shape. Skin heads are mounted on both sides, laced together with thongs of gut or leather.
Examples are the donno, dun-dun and tama.
Much of African drumming is centered around the events within the community. There is drumming for celebration and calls to war. This Guinean music march is actually a funeral procession that accompany a chief of the Limbadji tribe on his symbolic deathwalk as he returns to his birthplace, mother earth. A goblet-shaped hand drum chiseled from a solid log. The Djembe is found in Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea.