Tambora drum
Encyclopedia
The Dominican tambora (from the Spanish
word tambor, meaning "drum") is a two headed drum played in merengue music
. In many countries, especially the Dominican republic, tamboras were made from salvaged rum barrels . Performers on the tambora are referred to as tamboreros.
, or "chivo" heads, either with or without the hair left on. The third type, recently made by modern companies, is the bolt-tuned kind with rawhide conga heads. This kind usually has metal or wooden rims to hit as a filler for rhythms, sounding, if one strokes it correctly, something reminiscent of a wood block
. This type can also be tuned to higher settings and can sound like a conga
.
s are the main rhyhtm instrument, followed by the güira
. In orchestra merengue, a separate performer for timbales
can be seen very frequently, while in perico ripiao, the timbales and tambora are played most of the time by the same musician (timbales are used most of the time for fills, and, occasionally, solos). Timbales are said to have been introduced into the genre by Dominican
percussionist Ray "Chino" Diaz .
.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word tambor, meaning "drum") is a two headed drum played in merengue music
Merengue music
Merengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar...
. In many countries, especially the Dominican republic, tamboras were made from salvaged rum barrels . Performers on the tambora are referred to as tamboreros.
Types
There are three types of tambora for the merengue style of music. The oldest kind is the rope-tuned tambora with black-colored heads. This is seen more in folkloric music of the Dominican republic and Afro-Caribbean slaves. The second type is a rope tuned tambora played with goatskinGoatskin
Goatskin may refer to:* Goatskin , the skin of a goat or the leather made from it* Goatskin , a container for wine...
, or "chivo" heads, either with or without the hair left on. The third type, recently made by modern companies, is the bolt-tuned kind with rawhide conga heads. This kind usually has metal or wooden rims to hit as a filler for rhythms, sounding, if one strokes it correctly, something reminiscent of a wood block
Wood block
A woodblock is essentially a small piece of slit drum made from a single piece of wood and used as a percussion instrument. It is struck with a stick, making a characteristically percussive sound....
. This type can also be tuned to higher settings and can sound like a conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
.
Role in Merengue
In merengue tipico, known also as perico ripiao (the oldest form of merengue), the tambora has a significantly large role, playing many different types of rhythms and variations on those rhythms. However, in orchestra merengue, the tambora usually only plays the merengue derecho rhythm as a background instrument, while congaConga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s are the main rhyhtm instrument, followed by the güira
Güira
A güira is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic, generally used in merengue, bachata, and its subgenres, that sounds like a maraca or hi-hat but in fact is a sheet of metal—in practice, often from a five gallon oil can—evenly perforated with a nail, shaped into a cylinder or...
. In orchestra merengue, a separate performer for timbales
Timbales
Timbales are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing, invented in Cuba. They are shallower in shape than single-headed tom-toms, and usually much higher tuned...
can be seen very frequently, while in perico ripiao, the timbales and tambora are played most of the time by the same musician (timbales are used most of the time for fills, and, occasionally, solos). Timbales are said to have been introduced into the genre by Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
percussionist Ray "Chino" Diaz .
Basic strokes
There are three basic strokes: slap, rim/woodblock, and open tone: these three are all used in standard merengue rhythms, such as merengue derecho (most common merengue form) and pambichePambiche
Pambiche is a Latin American dance derived from Merengue, the national dance of the Dominican Republic. The Merengue was once called the "Palm Beach One Step" and it is said that "Pambiche" is a derivation of "Palm Beach." The Pambiche is slower and less syncopated than the Merengue. It is...
.