TAMBORA

[Isaac]

Double sided drums in a similar style to a Tambora can be found in many parts of Africa and hugging the coast of Asia - South Arabia, India and all the way eastward into SE Asia. They also play a tambora ( along with the bagpipes ) in Oman. Being mostly desert, Oman looked out to the ocean, and made it's fortune in shipping. They borrowed most of their instruments from the peoples they encountered in trade.
These drums became popular in the Indian Ocean and East African shipping routes and were played especially for ocean faring music, to send off ships or welcome them back home, or to hoist the sails. It became Oman's main style, and incorporated
a lot of influence from Africa. Today many of the top musicians in Oman are of African descent. It's no wonder,
Oman based their trading headquarters in Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania from 1698-1856.
They overthrew the earlier Portuguese traders, and controlled some of the slave trading headed toward the Caribbean
from Zanzibar and Mozambique. I've attached some photos I took at an Omani festival in Washington DC a few years ago.
I got to accompany this drum group, playing a steady 6/8 with sticks on a metal tray, loosely bolted down to a bread cutting board.
These guys could play all of their traditional rhythms as well as the most up to date hip-hop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tl1tAQN ... re=related

Tambora style drums from Oman

[Isaac]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS2s_ngI ... er&list=UL

plus an accompanying part for Congas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krY4peyuMgs

[Ernesto Pediangco]

Thanks for the history Issac ! Its nice to discover you are posting in Conga Place, I hope all is well for you & the devestating east coast weather isnt slamming down on you ?

[Ernesto Pediangco]

Issac, the long tube drums in the 3 rd pocture is simular to tall drums in the southern Phillipines, used by tribsmens since before colonial Spain over 500 years ago ! It is believed to have been brought to Southern P.I. , Indonesia & Malasia by ancient Arabic sea traders / Pirates who also deposited Islam in the Malasian / Indonesian cultures as early as the time when Arab alphabet writtings were invented since thats the style found in items in those areas. WOW....That was before Greek & Roman civilization !