Ghana
Ghanaian

Wood, goat skin, cloth fiber, leather, string
Mid 20th Century
Length: 23.625 in, diameter: 17.75 in
Membranophone – Struck (Directly) – Double-headed

A double-headed brekete drum from Ghana. The word brekete was first the name of the brekete ceremony of a religious group in southern Ghana.  The use of this specific type drum in their ceremonies became the name of the drum referred to in Ghana.  This cylindrical bass drum has a hollowed-out tree trunk for its shell.  Skins are attached to both ends of the open shell and a single snare (chahira) runs along the top portion of the skin on one side.  The drum is hung over the shoulder by means of a strap and it is struck with a curved drumstick held in the right hand.   The fingertips of the left hand are used to dampen the sound and create variations in sound.  The drum has fairly low pitches and plays repetitive ostinato figures. Its deep timbre gives an extra dimension to the music.  It bears decorative elements and has a bright pink cloth wound around it.   I personally collected this brekete from a Ghana music troupe, who were performing in Kansas City Missouri in the 1980’s.   I and my daughter Jaclyn, spent a week learning from them while they were visiting and touring in the USA.

This drum is called several different names by the various west African ethnic groups.  Some of the names for the brekete drum in other regions and by other cultures are listed below:

Nigeria: djun djung
Mande: dundun
Dagomba: gungon, gungon bla