Water drums are a type of drum that uses water inside to make a special sound. These drums are used in many places around the world, but they are especially important in ceremonies and social events in the music of Indigenous people in North America and in African music. They are usually made from clay, ceramic, wood, or metal pots that hold a small amount of water. A tight membrane, often made from animal skin, covers the top of the pot.

Water drumming, also called tambor de agua (Spanish: drum of water), bungo, or liquindi, is a style of drumming that originated in Africa. It involves using water from a river or other source and striking the water's surface directly with hands. This style is played by the Baka people in Africa and by descendants of formerly enslaved people in South America, using techniques similar to the culoepuya.

Construction

Water drums have traditionally been made with a wooden or clay body and a skin drum head. Wooden water drums are created by either hollowing out a soft wood log or assembling cedar slats and fastening them with bands, similar to a wooden keg. Clay drums are either handmade or made from an old crock. The Wyandot, Seneca, and Cayuga people traditionally use groundhog skin (daˀyęh) for the drum head, though deer skin is sometimes used. A drum stick used by the Iroquoian or Wendat/Wyandot people is carved from hardwood with a small rounded tip. The sound of the drum depends on how much water is inside the drum and how tight or loose the drum head is.

Today, the Native American Church often uses water drums made from metal kettles made of iron, brass, or copper. These modern versions are now more common than the traditional wooden ones. The unique sound of the drum used in Native American Church ceremonies happens because: "The water inside moves constantly and creates a special vibration. The player presses their thumb against the drum head to keep the sound at a steady pitch. When the thumb is lifted between songs, the pitch decreases by a fifth or more."

Use

Water drums are often used in Native American music and are part of ceremonies among Indigenous peoples in North and South America.

In North America, the Iroquois, Navajo, Cherokee, Muscogee, and Apache peoples use water drums in their music. These drums are also used in ceremonies and during traditional Longhouse social dances by the Huron/Wendat/Wyandot and Iroquois/Haudenosaune peoples. The Ojibwa, Odawa, and Pottawatomii traditionally call these drums midegwakikoon, with "Mide" referring to the Midewiwin medicine societies. Water drums are also used in Yaqui deer dance music, where they represent the heartbeat of a deer.

In South America, the cataquí is a water drum used by the Toba (also called Qom), Wichí, Pilagá, Chorote, and Nivaclé cultures in the Gran Chaco region. The cataquí is made from a hollowed tree trunk or ceramic pot, with water added inside. A leather skin, made from the hide of a red brocket deer, covers the top and is struck with a single stick. The cataquí has been used in ceremonies, such as the carob, and also in songs played during dances to help couples form connections.

In Central Africa, water drums are a main part of Baka music. In some areas of the Congo and Cameroon, these drums are used only by women, specifically women hunters, during ceremonies they hold before going on hunts.

In Tuareg music, the askalabo is a calabash drum that is partly submerged in water. It is played to mimic the sound of camels' hooves.

Pop culture

Since about 2006, the American heavy metal band Mushroomhead has used unusual water drums in their live performances. They mainly use these drums to make their shows more visually interesting.