Talking drum

A Tama (the "talking drum") is a drum whose pitch can be regulated. The player puts the tama under one shoulder and beats the tama with a stick. Tama player controls the pitch by squeezing the drum with his arm. Tama is used in playing Mbalax music.

Tama and dundun are possibly the oldest instruments used by west-african griots and their history can be traced back to ancient Ghana Empire.

References

• Cosaan Senegalese Culture: Griot's musical instruments
• Africa Guide: Senegalese Culture: Music
• Talking Drum from Instrument Encyclopedia, including a sound sample
• Charry, Eric 2000 Mande Music: Traditional and Modern Music of the Maninka and Mandinka of Western Africa. Chicago: University of Chicago.
• Chernoff, John Miller 1979 African Rhythm and African Sensibility. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press.
• Diallo, Yaya and Hall, Mitchell 1989 The Healing Drum: African Wisdom Teachings. Rochester, Vermont. Destiny Books.
• Drame, Adama & Senn-Horloz, Arlette 1992 Jeliya: Etre griot et musicien aujourd’hui. Paris. Harmattan.
• Hale, Thomas A 1998 Griots and Griottes: Masters of words and Music. Bloomington and Indianapolis. Indiana university Press.
• Jansen, Jan 2000 The Griots Craft: An Essay on Oral Tradition and Diplomacy. Hamburg. Lit Verlag.