Bugarabu Thread

[Bachikaze]

I've been buying and selling drums trying to find the perfect set for me. I've always loved congas—I have a set of Bauers—but I have been in the market for a drum that sounds a lot like a conga, but is more portable and has less metal brackets and stuff sticking out of it. I tried kpanlogos and came close. My most recent attempt is bugarabus.

I had seen them before, but the ones I heard in person had goatskin heads and sounded a lot like djembes, which I'm not fond of. After some conversations with other drummers, I was convinced to try bugarabus.

I ordered three (12", 11", and 9"). They arrived a couple of weeks ago. I then built a stand for them. Today, I just got back from playing them for the second time. I was in a jam with conga players. Not only did I enjoy them, the others guys were impressed with them, too.

I think bugarabus are overlooked. The bass on the 12" is massive, as low as a large djembe, but with more punch. The 11" sounds like a conga, and the 9" sounds like a heavy version of a djembe.

Maybe I've found my drums.

The day my bugarabus arrived

[korman]

I got a chance to look at those drums in 2008 Drum Camp (in Suffolk, UK). There was a stand where UK-made bougarbous were sold, but I've forgotten the name of the maker. They really impressed me being as melodic as congas, but smaller. Slaps sounded different though.
By no means they're a substitute for conga, but there are similarities. I would very much like to know more about the culture they come from! I was told they're usually played in sets of 3-4 by one player (as opposed to 1 drum per person as in Cuban traditions).

[Joseph]

What kind of skin do you have on them?

[Bachikaze]

These have cowhide, which is standard for bugarabus. The larger one has fairly thick skin. The middle has slightly thinner, and the smallest has rather thin, which gives it a sound almost in the heavy goatskin range. The skin is a bit softer than conga heads.

If I ever replace these heads, I'll try skins closer to conga thickness, although I'm not sure how tight I can get them with ropes. There has to be a reason, other than just convenience, why congas have metal tuning hardware.

[Roka]

Hi,

Not so much info about theese drums, but this CD is worth to ceck

http://www.villagepulse.com/bougarabou.html

[taikonoatama]

For those not familiar with these drums:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve30R0Ig ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIYhFgLn ... re=related

[Mike]

For those not familiar with these drums:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve30R0Ig ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIYhFgLn ... re=related

Thanks for sharing, Taikoman!

Awesome sound! I also like the split-hand rhythms very much. I have to admit I have never
listened to or come across these drums.
They are very convincing!!!

Mike

[Chupacabra]

I bought a set of three bugarabous from Drumskulls a couple of years ago just on an impulse. I can't remember exactly what the rationale was at the time but I never even questioned it once I actually had them here. They are a beautiful sounding drum! I also highly recommend the Saikoube Badje recording to accompany the drums.
Like you, I've brought these beautiful instruments out to classes and practises to introduce to other people and they've been blown away by their sounds and playability but as far as trying to find a niche for them with the traditionalists it's not so easy. Not that I'm complaining because I tend to agree with them.
I have some other unique drums that don't really fit in with the local crowd who study the "mainstream" folkloric music such and AfroCuban and/or West African, but are still really nice sounding drums. I hope one day to attain a level of musical skill that I might be invited to practise with a group of musicians who want hand percussion but don't have quite as rigid a value on the use of traditional instruments.

There was a show that I saw a couple of years ago here in one of the clubs and the group had a percussionist and a drummer/percussionist. I didn't realize at the time what they were doing and only later learned that they were playing sabar styled percussion rhythms on bugarabous and djembe. The bugarabous must have had a thinner skin on them because I've tried the stick and hand technique on mine and it just doesn't have that crisp, popping sound! My drums are headed with African cow hide.

The natural element for these drums is in such a relatively small ethnic group that it would probably be a genuine stroke of luck to find someone who can teach the traditional playing in the Western world - it's hard enough to find someone who is knowledgeable and qualified to teach Afro-Cuban and the more commonly played West African music!

I hope you get a lot of enjoyment from your drums and it's good to hear that there is one more player out there who can appreciate them!

[Bachikaze]

The same drums re-roped. The colors are not Rasta, but taco shop. The Taqueria Trio are called, Salsa, Jalapeño, and Maíz, respectively.

Chupacabra, I have pretty much stopped playing in folkloric bands. I got tired of worrying about what was "authentic". However, I may hold on to my congas just in case I want to play with a rumba or salsa jam occasionally.

The bugarabu set is perfect for my style, which is usually to lay down a groove for others to improv over. I occasionally take off into short bursts of improvisation of my own, which bougs can handle with the best of them because they're so punchy.

More YouTube, this time with rope-tuned bougs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfebRR3oQ3g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgSRkmHhJ5Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tx4iKarCMI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtlL2eizIcE

Salsa, Jalapeño, and Maíz

Now, about the right height

taqtrio16.jpg (25.83 KiB) Viewed 6211 times

Improved stand, lighter, simpler

[Chupacabra]

Those are some really nice drums! I notice that your 'bougs have graduated height to diameter. Actually, most of the other ones that I've seen are like that too... hmmm. My three are 25" tall and are 10", 11", and 12" in diameter.
One of the defining features that the bugarabous have is the ridge that is carved just above the waist of the shell and I've often wondered what function that serves. Is there anyone here that might know a thing or two about that?

They have such a unique, unmistakable sound that will certainly stand out in any group setting if they are well played; I'm still working on that part!

[Bachikaze]

Chupacabra,

If I had custom-built my bugarabus, I would have opted for all the same height as well—probably the exact same heights and diameters as yours. But the graduated drums have their strengths. Each has a more distinct voice, though at certain times I wish they sounded more alike.

Also, I would like to play them as congas, on the ground with one between my knees. I can do that, but it's not as comfortable.

I'm doing a web page about bugarabus. It's not quite finished. I'm attempting to categorize them by country based on the shell shape, the size of the collar (waist ridge), height of the foot flaring, and whether the heads are shaven or not, but I'm not sure it can be done. Are yours from Ivory Coast by chance?

I see that the bright camera flash makes your red rope pink as well. I considered uniform red rope (the color of almost all my drum roping), but changed my mind practically at the last minute.

[Chupacabra]

G'day Bachikaze,
As far as I know they were carved in Mali and the boys at Drumskulls headed them in California. I have avoid calling those guys for awhile because they keep tempting me to order a custom carved bugarabu shell that would be several inches taller than the ones I currently have; closer to the height of a conga or taller. This is probably how it would go: I would get it and start playing it and of course love how it sounds so much that I would then have to order 2 more to go along with it. This part is even more dangerous - I've started imagining the designs that I'd like carved into the shell(s).
I'm anxious to see how the bugarabu web page turns out - please do keep us posted!

Have a Happy Holiday!

[Bachikaze]

The bugarabu website as it stands.
http://gorogoro.info/gorogoro/bugarabus01.htm

This is part of my "A Word About..." drum series.
Another example (my most visited website): http://members.cox.net/drum/surdos01.htm

I'll be adding to the bugarabu site over time. Any ideas/comments?

[CongaTick]

Bachikaze,

Thank you so much for opening my eyes to the wonderful perc resource these drums are. I would love to own a set of 3, but wife would kill me. Small abode now crowded by congas, etc. I know,I know... playing the "boogs" would probably encourage me to get rid of the congas.....Wow!! you opened my eyes, ears and heart to some great stuff. I definitely can see a place in contemporary music for their sound, if you allow contemporary music to include the wide world of fusion-- and I mean "world". Thanks for sharing this. Let's continue to stretch the percussion boundaries in "Other Instruments" and not concern ourselves too seriously with flokloric traditionalists.

[Bachikaze]

While I love playing Afro-Cuban, taiko, and samba-reggae music, I couldn't agree with you more on your points.
http://members.cox.net/drum/clipart.htm
http://members.cox.net/drum/djembes.htm

I am considering selling my congas. It's tough because I have a particularly good set. I will continue to play my bougs with a critical ear and see if I would miss the congas. There are certain sounds that only a conga can make. Then again, I might find unique sounds of the bugarabu that I can exploit and fall in love with as much as those of the conga.

The portability and lack of metal parts are strong benefits of the bougs. They are easier to mount on stands and fit into a standard military duffel bag. They require no tools (e.g. wrenches) to tune and it has fewer parts (only the shell, head, two rings, and one rope). Playing a bugarabu is easier on the hands than the harder heads of congas.

On the other hand, congas tune more evenly. You can tune them to have equal tension on five or six points at the same time. Bougs and jembes are tuned around the drum unevenly. Also, I haven't tested this in practice, but I assume you can tune thick heads much tighter on a conga.