African Drums: History, Cultural Significance and Seven Important Types
African drums represent a vast range of musical traditions rather than one single style or history. Across the continent, different communities have developed their own drums, rhythms and playing techniques. Drums have been used for music and dance as well as ceremonies, storytelling, praise, healing, community gatherings and, in certain traditions, communication.
Instruments such as the djembe and talking drum are now recognised around the world, but each comes from a specific cultural and regional background. Understanding those origins gives us a deeper appreciation of both the instruments and the traditions behind them.
A Brief History of African Drums
There is no single point at which “the African drum” was invented. Drumming traditions developed in many parts of Africa over long periods of time, often before written records were kept. Because early drums were commonly made from organic materials such as wood, animal hide and plant fibre, few ancient examples have survived.
What is clear is that drums have long played an important role in African social and cultural life. Their purpose varies between communities. Some drums accompany dancing, singing and public celebrations, while others are connected with religious observances, royal courts, initiation ceremonies, funerals or healing practices. Certain instruments and rhythms may also be reserved for particular performers, occasions or social roles.
Drums have also been used to communicate, although this should not be applied to every African drumming tradition. In parts of West and Central Africa, skilled musicians developed drum languages capable of reproducing the pitch patterns and rhythms of tonal speech. These instruments could convey praise poetry, proverbs, announcements and other messages over a distance.
During the twentieth century, touring performers, national dance companies, recordings, migration and international music education introduced instruments such as the djembe to wider audiences. Today, African drums are played in traditional settings as well as contemporary music, schools, community groups and percussion ensembles around the world.
Seven Types of African Drums
A. Djembe – A West African Goblet Drum
The djembe, also written as jembe, is one of the best-known drums from West Africa. It belongs to the Mande cultural region, which includes parts of present-day Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia. Its precise date of origin is uncertain, but the instrument has strong historical associations with Mande communities and with numu, the hereditary blacksmiths and woodcarvers traditionally involved in making drums.
A traditional djembe has a goblet-shaped wooden shell, a goatskin head and a rope-tensioning system. It is played with bare hands and is commonly heard alongside dunun bass drums in music for dancing, celebrations and ceremonies. The lead djembe player may improvise, respond to dancers and guide changes within the ensemble.
The three basic djembe strokes are commonly described as bass, tone and slap. A bass note is produced near the centre of the head, while tones and slaps are played closer to the edge. The exact sound depends on hand position, technique, tuning and the construction of the drum.
The word djembefola is often used for a djembe player. A skilled player learns more than individual hand strokes: traditional performance also requires an understanding of complete rhythms, arrangements, songs, dances and the occasions to which they belong.
B. Talking Drum – A Drum That Follows the Shape of Speech
“Talking drum” is a general name for several West African drums that can imitate the pitch and rhythm of spoken language. One of the best-known examples is the Yoruba dùndún tradition of present-day Nigeria and Benin. Related pressure drums are found in other parts of West Africa under names such as tama, tamanin, dondo and donno.
Many talking drums have an hourglass-shaped wooden body with a head at each end. The two heads are connected by leather tension cords. By holding the drum under one arm and squeezing or releasing the cords, the player changes the tension of the heads and therefore the pitch. The drum is usually struck with a curved stick, although techniques vary by tradition.
Because many West African languages are tonal, changes in pitch can alter the meaning of a word. An experienced drummer can reproduce speech-like patterns and use the instrument for praise poetry, proverbs, prayers, announcements and musical performance. The drum does not reproduce consonants and vowels in the same way as a human voice; instead, listeners recognise the message through its tones, rhythm and familiar phrases.
It is important not to confuse the Yoruba dùndún talking drum with the Mande dunun bass drums described later in this article. Their names look similar in English, but they refer to different instruments and musical traditions.
C. Bougarabou – The Jola Drumming Tradition
The bougarabou, also written as boucarabou, comes from the Jola people of the Casamance region in southern Senegal and neighbouring areas of The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. It is a tall, single-headed drum with an elongated goblet or conical shape, traditionally fitted with an animal-hide head.
Bougarabou music is closely connected with singing, clapping and dancing. Traditionally, one drummer might play a single drum, while many contemporary performers use a set of three or four drums in different sizes. Some players also wear metal wrist rattles or bracelets that add another percussive layer as their hands move.
Although its shape is sometimes compared with the djembe, the bougarabou has its own construction, repertoire, technique and cultural history. It should be understood as a distinct Jola musical tradition rather than simply as an accompanying drum for the djembe.
D. Ngoma – A Name with Many Meanings
Ngoma is not the name of one standardised drum. The word, or a related form of it, appears in many Bantu languages across Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Depending on the community and context, it may refer to a drum, a dance, a musical performance, a ceremony or a gathering that combines all of these elements.
Drums called ngoma therefore vary considerably in shape, size and construction. Many have carved wooden shells and animal-hide heads, but some are tall and narrow while others are wider or more cylindrical. They may be played with the hands, with sticks or with a combination of both.
Ngoma traditions can accompany social dances, royal events, initiation ceremonies, healing practices, religious observances and other community activities. Any description of an ngoma should identify the specific country, people or tradition whenever possible, because the term covers a wide range of instruments and cultural practices.
E. Ashiko – A Tapered Yoruba Hand Drum
The ashiko is a tapered, open-bottomed hand drum associated with Yoruba musical traditions in present-day Nigeria and Benin. Its body is shaped more like a cone or tapered cylinder than the sharply curved goblet form of a djembe.
Traditional ashiko drums are made from wood and commonly fitted with a relatively thick animal-hide head, often cow or calf hide. Modern versions may use other natural or synthetic heads and a variety of tuning systems. The drum is played with bare hands and can produce bass notes, open tones and sharper edge sounds.
The ashiko is a distinct instrument, not a less expensive version of the djembe. Its shell shape, head and tuning give it a different response and tonal character. Exact claims about its age or the literal meaning of its name vary between sources, so it is more accurate to describe it through its established Yoruba association and physical form.
F. Doumbek – A Goblet Drum of North Africa and the Middle East
The doumbek belongs to a broad family of goblet drums played across North Africa, the Middle East, Türkiye, the Balkans and surrounding regions. Depending on the language and location, related instruments may be called darbuka, derbake, tabla or doumbek. Names, construction and playing styles vary from one tradition to another.
Earlier forms were commonly made from pottery or wood and fitted with animal skin. Many modern instruments have metal bodies and synthetic heads, which provide greater tuning stability. The drum is usually held under the arm or placed across the player’s lap and is played with the fingers and hands.
Its basic sounds are often described as doum, a low sound played near the centre of the head, and tek or tak, a higher sound played near the edge. A lighter edge stroke made with the supporting hand is often called ka. These strokes are combined into rhythmic patterns used in classical, folk, popular and dance music.
The doumbek has a long history in the region, but it is difficult to support claims that the modern instrument originated in one specific ancient civilisation or was used mainly for religious purposes. It is more accurate to recognise it as a regional family of instruments shaped by many musical cultures.
G. Dunun – The Bass Drums of a Mande Ensemble
The dunun, also written as dundun, doundoun or djun-djun, belongs to a family of double-headed cylindrical bass drums used in Mande music in West Africa. Dunun commonly accompany djembes and provide the repeating bass patterns that form the foundation of an ensemble.
A traditional dunun has a hollow wooden shell with a hide head at each end, often made from cowhide. The heads are connected and tensioned with rope, and the drum is struck with a wooden stick. In many Guinean ensemble styles, three sizes are used: the large dununba, the medium sangban and the smaller kenkeni. The names, sizes and musical roles can vary by region.
In one common style, each drum is placed horizontally on a stand and played by a separate musician. The drummer strikes the drumhead with one hand and an iron bell with the other. In other traditions, one musician may play several dunun, the drums may be positioned vertically or carried with a strap, and bells may not be used.
Together, the dunun and djembe create interlocking rhythms for dance, ceremony and celebration. The dunun establish the rhythmic structure, while the djembe parts accompany, signal changes and improvise within the arrangement.
Appreciating African Drumming Traditions
The instruments described here represent only a small part of Africa’s drumming heritage. Each drum belongs to a particular history, place and community, and even instruments with similar shapes can have very different meanings and playing traditions.
Learning where an instrument comes from—and learning its rhythms from knowledgeable tradition-bearers—helps ensure that it is approached with accuracy and respect. African drums continue to evolve as musicians carry their traditions forward, collaborate across cultures and find new settings for these enduring instruments.
