The mahogany drums have a rich bass sound in the middle of the skin and a high note on the rim. The larger the drum, the louder, richer and deeper the sound.

While it's simple to get fine, clear sounds from these drums, practiced players can get a great variety of notes and tone colours, with a wide dynamic range. So these are fine instruments for the serious drummer.

The skin is goatskin, secured with welded steel rings and very strong nylon bindings to allow the drum to be tuned. They come in five sizes.

CARVING Some of these drums have the lower part carved in relief designs - a geometric pattern, geckos (lizards), dancing figures, birds and dolphins.