Drum Types
Wolof has only begun to be written down within the past century, so there is no definitive consensus on the spelling of Wolof words. For this page, the transliteration of Patricia Tang, PhD was used as a standard, but alternate forms have been compiled and included. - Thomas Holtz
How are they made?
Sabar drum shells are made by craftsmen called lawbe (alt. laube, laubé) from dimb (alt. dimbu) or baawbaab (baobab), although it has been recorded that yiir (mimosa, alt. yir) was once used, too. It is then up to the griot / géwël to attach, secure and tune a goatskin drumhead. The griot begins by making holes for the seven tuning pegs, each one representing a member of the traditional seven-member sabar ensemble. The pegs are made from either kel (Grewia bicolor) or niim (neem) and are hammered into place with a large stone called a xeer.
Photo Credit: Thomas Holtz
Galeñ (alternate transliterations: galen, galan)
Each drum is played with the left palm and a slender wooden batter called a galeñ in the right hand. They are made from either sideem (jujube, alt. sidéem), daqar (tamarind, alt. dakkar), or sump (Balanites aegyptiaca, the desert date tree). Griots personally trim them from packs of sticks they buy at market.
Photo Credit: Mason Adore
Sabar nder (alternate transliteration: ndeer)
The sabar nder, or simply nder, is the tallest open-botton sabar drum. It has the widest range of all sabar drums and leads the ensemble. With the cól, it is also the oldest drum used in sabar, predating the ensemble itself. Traditionally drummers played fast rhythms on the nder, hence the name sabar (bar meaning something fast). While there is usually only one nder in an ensemble, it can be joined by a second mbalax (literally "accompaniment") nder.
Ndënd / Cól / Lamb (alternate transliterations: col, cóol, thiol, jol, làmb, lambe, lamba)
The lead bass drum, typically ovoid in shape, on which the tulli (alt. touli) accompaniment is played. Ndënd, meaning "rooted", refers to the netherness of its bass register. The name lamb comes from its use during wrestling matches (làmb), but the lamb is sometimes considered a separate drum from the cól, one that is smaller and differently tuned. The cól can also be tuned to match the gorong talmbat for a hybrid accompaniment called the tulli-talmbat.
Photo Credit: Mason Adore
Gorong talmbat (alternate transliteration: goroŋ)
The gorong talmbat, or simply talmbat, is the slightly shorter descendant of the cól. It is the lead tenor drum and is named after the talmbat accompaniment that is played on it.
Doudou N'diaye Rose with his gorong yeguel. Photo Credit: unknown
Gorong yeguel / Gorong mbabas (alternate transliterations: yegel, yeggal, yeegal, yégué, mbabass, babas, babass)
The invention of the gorong yeguel is credited to Doudou N'diaye Rose, who made it as an alternative to the nder that could be played sitting down. It is essentially a closed-botton cól, but with the head strung tighter and laced in the style of an open-bottom drum. This gives it a sound akin to an nder. Yeguel is Wolof for "to pull", while the term mbabas comes from its popular use in the genre of the same name.
Photo Credit: Mason Adore
Mbëng-mbëng (alternate transliterations: mbëŋ-mbëŋ, mbeng-mbeng, mbung-mbung, mbeung-mbeung)
The mbëng-mbëng is named onomatopoeically for the sound it makes. It originates with the Serer, who took the saoruba used for Mandinka drumming in Casamance and cut it in half. The mbëng-mbëng entered sabar when drummers in Kaolack adopted it. In an ensemble, one mbëng-mbëng plays mbalax while the others follow the rythme or bàkk.
Photo Credit: Mason Adore
Mbëng-mbëng ball (alternate transliteration: bal, bale, balla)
The mbëng-mbëng ball is the tallest mbëng-mbëng, boasting a bassier sound than its shorter counterpart. Ball is Wolof for "to spout".
Photo Credit: Mason Adore
Mbëng-mbëng tungune (alternate transliterations: tuŋune, tungone, tungoné, toungoné)
The mbëng-mbëng tungune, or simply tungune, is the shortest sabar drum and is correspondingly named from the Wolof word for “little person”. Modeled after the kutiro of the Mandinka, it is the alto of the ensemble.
Photo Credit: Mason Adore
Tama
Not to be confused with the coincidentally-named Japanese drum company, the tama is part of the “talking drum” family, so named for its capacity to mimic vowels. Performers wear the tama on a sling and position it at the underarm, manipulating the timbre by squeezing and releasing the drum. The galeñ used to play it is short and curved and the drumhead is lizard rather than goat. Tradition holds that it is ritually taboo to place the tama on the floor.
Photo Credit: Mason Adore
Xiin (alternate transliterations: xin, xeen, jiin, khin, khine, hin)
A cylindrical baritone drum originating from Touba, principally used by the Baye Fall (alt. Bay, Baay, Faal) when working, begging for alms or conducting ceremonies. It is seldom present in contemporary sabar ensembles. Although the xiin is slightly shorter than the tungune, its register functionally overlaps with the talmbat.
Photo Credit: Mason Adore
Djembé (alternate transliterations: djembe, jembe, njembe)
The djembé is a later and uncommon addition to the Senegalese sabar ensemble, having been adopted from the Mande. It ranges in size from large to small and is the only sabar drum played without a galeñ.
Waaw Waaw BC Inventory
Sabar drums
x22 galeñ-sticks
x1 nder
x1 talmbat
x7 mbëng-mbëng
x3 mbëng-mbëng ball
x2 tungune
x1 tama
x1 xiin
x2 small djembé
x2 large djembé
Ghanian drums
x1 kidi (Ewe drum)
x1 tswreshi / kpanlogo (Ga drum)
Kidi
Photo Credit: Thomas Holtz
Tswreshi
Photo Credit: Thomas Holtz
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