Goombay
Encyclopedia
Goombay is a form of Bahamian music and a drum
used to create it. The goombay drum is a membranophone
with one goat skin head held between the legs and played with the hands or sticks.
In Bahamas, its most famous practitioner in modern times was Alphonso 'Blind Blake' Higgs
, who performed at the Nassau International Airport for many years.
A similar tradition exists in Bermuda
, called Gombey
.
Goombay is also an alternate spelling for the gumbe, a Jamaican drum (see Music of Jamaica
and List of Caribbean drums).
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
used to create it. The goombay drum is a membranophone
Membranophone
A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....
with one goat skin head held between the legs and played with the hands or sticks.
In Bahamas, its most famous practitioner in modern times was Alphonso 'Blind Blake' Higgs
Blake Alphonso Higgs
Blake Alphonso Higgs , better known as "Blind Blake", was the best-known performer of goombay/calypso in the Bahamas from the 1930s to the 1960s. -Biography:For much of his career, Blind Blake was based at the Royal Victoria Hotel in Nassau...
, who performed at the Nassau International Airport for many years.
A similar tradition exists in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, called Gombey
Gombey
The Gombey is an iconic symbol of Bermuda, this folklife tradition reflecting the island’s blend of African, Native American, Caribbean and British cultures, incorporating them over time into a unique performance art full of colorful and intricate masquerade, dance and drumming.Dancers are usually...
.
Goombay is also an alternate spelling for the gumbe, a Jamaican drum (see Music of Jamaica
Music of Jamaica
The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles. Jamaica's music culture is a fusion of elements from the United States , Africa, and neighboring Caribbean islands such as...
and List of Caribbean drums).