Description:
The sakara is a shallow circular fame drum found in Nigeria and played
by the Yoruba and the Hausa peoples. In the Yoruba culture the sakara
used for a wide variety of purposes. The sakara is played in wedding
ceremonies or among other functions a king could summon his subjects to
court. The sakara is also used to broadcast messages and to offer
prayers. Traditional "Were music" is played on the sakara to call
Muslims to Ramadan. Sakara drums are often played together in a
poly-rhythmic voice. This is to achieve a chord like effect in the
rhythmic cycles.
Anatomy of the Sakara:
In
the Yoruba culture the men would make the sakara. The assembly of the
sakara would begin with a clay ring who is made separately. Then a
group of three sticks and the hide skin often of goat. Three pegs are
inserted first into the drum's skin and body. This is achieved only
with great delicate care not to break the clay ring under pressure.
When the hide is stretched over after the three original pegs then more
pegs are added in individually. Then the pitch of the sakara is
adjusted by the tension of the pegs by carefully pushing them inwards.
The tuning shafts are chosen with care from a hard wood tree, they are
selected for durability and long lasting strength. The sakara often
come in many sizes.