Last Updated on December 2, 2023

African drums have the magic of sounds and a deep story. Each ancient tribe filled their common life with the religious musical instruments that until now we have known as African percussion instruments. African music with drums brings the sensation of the ancient past of the people, of the mysterious and deep sound.

Udu is an African drum in the specific form. The history of Udu begins in Nigeria (Northern Africa) in the ancient times when the tribes of Hausa found the clay pots with two holes that can emit absolutely incredible sounds (“udu” means “peace” in the language of Igbo). The deep sound that udu produces for many seemed “the voice of the ancestors” and was originally used in religious and cultural ceremonies. The tool produces a deep bass sound that resembles the sound of the Indian tabla. The Bass tone combines with the sound of the pure, “rocky” percussion of the pot.

Here you can hear the sound of the Udu drum.

Caxixi – African woven straw drum attached to a circular piece of pumpkin on the bottom, inside – shells or grain on the top of the woven handle. The origin is African but it is widely known in Brazil.

It is adjusted by moving the bark of the special leather rings around the neck. Traditionally it is the instrument of the griots – wandering minstrels, storytellers and guardians of legends. This is mainly due to the inhabitants of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Gambia.

Talking Drum is a special type of African drums, originally intended for communication between peoples. It has the sound of a drummer so it could imitate the human voice that uses a complex system of rhythmic phrases.

Talking drum is one of the oldest tools used by the griots of West Africa (in West Africa, a member of the caste which is responsible for the preservation of tribal history in the form of music, poetry, stories). Its origins go back to the ancient empire of Ghana. These drums from Africa are common in Central America and South America through the Caribbean Sea during the slave trade. Later, African drums were banned for African-American, because slaves use them to communicate with each other.

Kpanlogo (Kpanlogo) – a traditional exotic drum in the western region of Ghana. The body of the drum is made of solid wood, the membrane of the antelope skin. The skin is connected and configured with special pins inserted into the hole in the helmet. It is a very interesting and melodic instrument beautifully playing alone and with other instruments.

You can listen to kpanlogo in the folk music of West Africa.

Shekere is a common African percussion instrument, unique in its kind – it combines three different elements: shaker, rattle, and drum. During the execution, it can rotate, shake and hit the lower part, eliminating a great variety of sounds.

It is an African pumpkin decorated with a mesh woven with seed beads, small stones or pottery, and modern manufacturers make it from wood or fiberglass. He has a long history and is one of the African percussion instruments that are still widely used in the daily life of many African countries.