Topmusicanswers
- What is African drum music called?
- Why are drums used in African music?
- What is the name of the drum used in West African songs?
- What does the drum symbolize in West Africa?
What is African drum music called?
Djembe
| Percussion instrument | |
|---|---|
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 211.261.1 (Directly struck membranophones, goblet drums, one membrane, open at one end) |
| Developed | c. 1200 AD |
| Playing range | |
| 65–1000 Hz. | |
Why are drums used in African music?
Drums play an important role in every aspect of African life, including the physical, emotional and spiritual. African hand drums are played to communicate, celebrate, mourn and inspire. They're played in times of peace and war, planting and harvesting, birth and death.
What is the name of the drum used in West African songs?
The djembe is one of West Africa's best known instruments. This goblet-shaped drum is traditionally carved from a single piece of African hardwood and topped with an animal skin as a drumhead. In western understanding, the drum belongs to the membranophone class of instruments in the percussion family.
What does the drum symbolize in West Africa?
In much of Africa, drums are considered to symbolize and protect royalty, which often leads to their being housed in sacred dwellings. They can also be considered as a primitive telephone, since drums are also used to communicate with tribes that are miles and miles away.
