Introduction:
The tama drum is nearly as common as the sabar and is played by a larger
number of ethnic groups than the sabar, including the Wolof, Serer,
Fulbe, Tukuloor, Malinke, and Mandinko. Similar instruments are found
throughout West Africa.
Playing Methods, Performance & Context
The tama is a "talking drum," or a drum whose pitch can be regulated.
The player puts the tama under one shoulder and beats the tama with a
curved stick held in the other hand. To regulate the pitch, the player
squeezes the strings that surround the tama with his arm, tightening
the drum head and thereby raising the pitch. Because it can imitate
the inflections of the human voice, certain patterns have literal
verbal meanings, although to most Gambians today, the tama is simply
an instrument used to accompany dance and concert music.
Traditionally, the tama was a court instrument, used by kings and
chiefs to summon people. Although most tama are very small, with a
diameter of about 4 to 5 inches, the royal tama, which are extremely
rare now, were almost twice as large. Tamas are used primarily to
accompany dancing or griots' chants. The Wolof in most areas have
little tradition of melodic singing, and griots' "praise singing" is
often actually rhythmic chanting to a percussive accompaniment, much
like rapping.
The tama is an important part of almost all modern mballax groups.
Although it is not quite as indispensible as the sabar, it adds a
flavor that most groups consider to be an integral part of their
music. Assane Thiam, the tama player of Senegambia's most famous
singer, Youssou Ndour, has made a solo career recording somewhat
traditional Wolof rhythmic chants.
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