Hourglass-shaped talking drums are some of the oldest instruments used by West African griots and their history can be … See more

The pitch of the drum is varied to mimic the tone patterns of speech. This is done by varying the tension placed on the drumhead: the opposing drum heads are connected by a common tension cord. The waist of th… See more

The dimensions of the drums differ between ethnic groups, but all follow the same basic design.
The Tama of the Serer, Wolof and Mandinka peoples is typified by its smaller dimensions… See more

Playing styles are closely linked with the drum's construction and the tonal qualities of each language. There is a clear difference in playing styles between areas with predominantly Fulani and Mande-speaking p… See more

King Crimson used the talking drum on its album Larks' Tongues in Aspic, for the track "The Talking Drum".
Tom Waits used the talking drum on his song "Trouble's Braids", a track from the album … See more