DRAGONFLY MOON - Supporting World Fair-Trade

 A Wide Range of Ethically Traded WORLD DRUMS At Excellent Prices
 sold by a professional, EXPERIENCED drummer/percussionist and west African drum tutor

ALL available to mail order
** We accept ALL MAJOR Credit & Debit Cards **
NB: postage & packing charges apply - full details on How To Order page

~ SCROLL DOWN ~
for African Djembes, Balinese Djembes, Cajóns, Frame Drums, Bodhrans, Ocean Drums,
Darabukas, Dholaks, Talking Drums, Bongos, 'Monkey' Drums and more...


  
 

  DJEMBES  

Originating in West Africa, the djembe, with its fascinating history and cultural significance, is fast becoming the most popular hand drum in the world, capable of producing an amazing array of notes.  Traditionally djembes are made from a hand-carved wooden shell with a goat skin playing area or 'head', secured with iron rings and strong knotted cord to create the tension of the skin.  The shape and material of the shell, along with the individual skin and its tensioning, dictates the unique sound of each drum.  

The djembe is played by tilting the drum away from the player (either sat with the drum between the knees or stood using a harness), raised off the floor to allow the sound to emerge fully, with both hands, fingers together, hitting the skin of the drum and bouncing off it to create the notes.  The main notes (played with both left and right hands) are Gun and Dun - more commonly known as BASS (played with the whole hand in the centre of the drum to create a beautifully deep & resonant sound); Go and Do - more commonly known as TONE (played with closed fingers near the edge of the drum to create a higher sound); and Pa and Ta - more commonly known as the SLAP note (played by slightly loosening the fingers and pivoting the hand onto the side of the drum and 'slapping' slightly splayed fingers onto the rim to create a loud, accented note).  The djembe is a versatile percussion instrument accessible to all, yet can also be taken to a professional level.
 

  African Djembe 
Quality sustainable wooden djembes - hand-made, traditional African drums:
 

Fabulous, traditional djembes from Ghana, made from African Cedar Wood and goat skin.
They are hand carved and decorated with traditional (variable) designs and sound fantastic with a warm, deep tone.

Sizes are approximate as they are all hand made and therefore vary slightly,
meaning also that each drum is unique.
The quality is always excellent and we have been selling and using them personally for nearly a decade,
so they come highly recommended!




They are available in three sizes:
approx 65-70cm high with approx 13” head at £165.00;
approx 55-60cm high with approx 11” head at £130.00;
approx 45-50cm high with approx 9" head at £89.00.

 

We also supply highly recommended 'Kambala' Djembes from The Ivory Coast.
These drums are of excellent quality and are made by Kambala Percussion
from Iroca wood, a fast growing plantation hardwood.

Available to special order are top quality 'Professional' Kambala djembes as played by Scott
with black roping and two rings carved neatly into the base - exceptional quality with an impressive range of sounds:
11" head x 22" (£189.00); 12" head x 24" (£199.00, pictured);
Other sizes are available to special order including 8", 9", 10", 13", 14" and 15" head sizes.


Other Kambala styles are also now available to special order, including 'Solo' djembes (12" and 14" head);
'Master Series' djembes (13" head); and the lower priced 'Bassam' red-roped range (10", 11", 12" and 14" head, pictured)
Contact Us for further details.
NB:  Kambala djembes are not held in stock but are available to special order only.  

 

 
  Indonesian Fibreglass Djembe   
"Tree-Free" fibreglass djembes from Indonesia

Fibreglass Djembes from Bali, Indonesia:
Incredibly light "tree-free" fibreglass body decorated with varying decorative designs.
Easy to both carry and play and utilising no wood whatsoever, yet still with a traditional goatskin head and a great djembe sound!
45cm high with 9" head (£65.00) and 60cm high with 12" head (£99.00, pictured).
Very playable drums at fantastic prices!

 

 

  Balinese Djembe 
Other wooden djembe styles come from Bali, Indonesia - good quality, hand finished drums: 

 

Excellent Quality 'Rainbow' design djembes
from Bali - bright and funky djembes which are well tensioned with good roping.
Approx 40cm high at £55.00;
Approx 50cm high at £85.00.

Good quality plain wooden djembes from Bali
finished with a transparent stain/varnish which brings out the natural grain of the wood.
Available sizes: 60cm high at £105.00; 50cm high at £70.00; 40cm at £42.50; 30cm at £24.50.
 

Hand-painted wooden Balinese djembes
These djembes give great value for money
and are decorated with varying vibrant dot-painted designs:
Available sizes are: 60cm high at £95.00; 50cm high at £50.00; 40cm high at £35.00; 30cm high at £21.00.

Small children's djembes hand painted from Bali:
20cm high at £9.50;
15cm high at £6.50.

  Djembe Accessories   
djembe hats, bags, straps & tuition books:
 
Brightly coloured, stripy padded drum 'hats'
from Indonesia to protect the skin of your drum whilst not in use or during transit,
available in S, M, L, XL and XXL sizes (30cm at £4.00; 40cm at £5.00; 50cm at £6.00; 60cm at £7.00 and 70cm at £8.00 respectively).

Also available: Colourful stripy djembe bags from Bali with shoulder carry-handles (50cm high at £22.95; 60cm high at £30.95).

Large, sturdy blue sarong material djembe bags from Bali with shoulder strap (60cm at £35.95; 70cm at £44.50, pictured);
Also available:
Red or blue sarong material drum hats (50cm at £6.00 and 60cm at £7.00 - designs similar to the drum bag pictured below).


**NEW** High quality sturdy black deluxe padded djembe bags with carry handle and shoulder strap - varying sizes available to order: Contact Us


A very useful Djembe book complete with CD for beginners (traditional African rhythms) at £17.50.

** Come to a drumming workshop to learn djembe!  See Drum Workshops page for details... **


 

  Cajóns  

The cajón, (Spanish for 'box' or 'drawer'), has its origins in the African slave trade in Cuba and Peru and as such has evolved into its present form from very humble beginnings - African slaves played fishing boxes or sometimes small sets of drawers as a substitute for their more traditional instruments which were prohibited.  Nowadays the cajón is made from quality hardwoods with a sound hole in the back and a snare system inside against the back of the playing surface - the player sits atop the drum and strikes the high-quality plywood surface (middle for bass and the top edge for a 'snare' sound).  Used in Flamenco, Afro Cuban, Peruvian AND more contemporary music, the cajón has the amazing ability to sound like a full drum-kit yet is much easier to play and much more compact!
 

Budget Cajón (pictured)
complete with gig bag at £99.00.
We are very impressed with the sound and quality of this cajón for the low price tag!

 

Also available: 'Katho' Cajons made in Spain:
 

Katho Basik Cajón
Rosewood plate, calabo body
£149.00 each
made in Spain.

Katho Rumba Cajón
Pine plate, calabo body
£149.00 each
made in Spain.



Katho Calabo Cajón
Black Calabo plate and birchwood body
£199.00 each
made in Spain.

Katho Ebano Cajón
Beech plate, wenge back plate and birchwood body
£225.00 each
made in Spain.

Cajón Cases
Black padded cajón bags suitable for most cajóns
with shoulder straps and carry handle
£22.95 each.
ALSO AVAILABLE: Deluxe black 'Kathko' cajón case £29.95 made in Spain.

  FRAME DRUMS  
 
Traditional skinned frame drums are amongst the most ancient of all drums and have a tribal, ritualistic and shamanistic history.
Found the world over, frame drums come in an amazing array of shapes and sizes, both with and without jingles, many with different playing techniques - some requiring beaters whilst others are played with the hands.  'Dragonfly Moon' sells both single skinned frame drums from varied locations which are played using either a soft, padded beater or the hands.
Those played with a padded beater are particularly easy and intuitive to play and can be harnessed for a variety of purposes from music to sound therapy.
NB: all traditionally skinned FRAME DRUMS come complete with a 'Dragonfly Moon' drum care sheet.

 

Hexagonal single skinned tribal frame drums
complete with soft beater from Bali, Indonesia.
Medium approx 35-40cm at £59.00;
Large (deeper sound) approx 45-50cm at £69.00.


These exceptionally low-priced hand-made frame drums
are very light to hold, easy to play and have a lovely deep tone,
particularly the larger size.
Available with or without feathers & beads attached!

Beautifully resonant hexagonal African Shamanic Frame Drum.
A strong, durable frame drum  of excellent quality
made by Kambala of The Ivory Coast.
£145.00 including hard and soft beaters.
NB:  Kambala drums are not held in stock but are available to special order only.  


 

**NEW!** Round single skinned tribal frame drums
complete with soft beater from Bali, Indonesia.
Medium approx 40cm at £75.00;
Large approx 50cm at £85.00.

Fantastic, all weather, REMO BUFFALO DRUMS from the USA.
These synthetic frame drums are reliable in all weather, giving a deep, resonant sound.
Sizes are 16" and 22"
They are played using a soft beater making them very easy to play.

Subject to availability - CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE - SORRY!

Excellent protective frame drum CASES complete with useful pocket, carry handles & adjustable shoulder strap:
deluxe black padded 16" bag at £24.00 and deluxe padded 18" bag at £26.00 - personally endorsed by 'Dragonfly Moon'!


 

Skinned TAMBOURINES - frame drums with jingles, played with the hand.
Round skinned wooden tambourines with single jingles from India
8" at £8.00 or 6" at £6.75.


 

Basic hand drums:
Small wooden rimmed drums with tuneable synthetic heads
made in China
10" at £18.00; 12" at £22.00.

 

  BODHRANS  

The bodhran is a traditional Irish frame drum created to be played with a double-ended wooden beater or 'tipper'. 
The bodhran is an incredibly powerful instrument and is the driving force of traditional Irish folk music.

    

 

Good quality plain skinned Bodhrans from India complete with wooden tipper:
16" (£40.00) and 18" (£45.00).
A great bodhran, ideal for beginners and improvers - well built with a single crossbar on the back for comfort and ease of use.

plain tuneable bodhrans are also available:
14" at £49.00; 16" at £55.00.




Decorated Bodhrans
made by Walton's of Dublin -
18" silk screen printed drums with varying beautiful Celtic designs,
complete with wooden tipper, carry case and tuition DVD at £85.00.

18" Plain Walton's Bodhrans are also available with tipper, case and DVD at £79.95.

Walton's bodhran conditioning cream is also available at £10.95.
Spare tippers are also available: cocuswood at £4.95 each & rosewood at £6.50 each.

HAND-MADE 'BELGARTH' BODHRANS FROM ORKNEY - exceptional, professional drums hand-made to order; Vignoles Bodhrans are also available.
Contact Us for more information

 

Bodhran Cases:

Excellent protective bodhran / frame drum CASES complete with useful pocket, carry handles & adjustable shoulder strap:
deluxe black padded 16" bag at £24.00 and deluxe padded 18" bag at £26.00 - personally endorsed by 'Dragonfly Moon'!

 

Bodhran Tuition Books:

'Absolute beginners Bodhran Tutor' with CD by Conor Long (£11.50)
'Bodhran Basics' complete with CD by Steafan Hannigan (£10.95)
'The Bodhran Book' with CD by Steafan Hannigan (£19.95)
'The Irish Drum: An Bodhrán' by Peter Houlahan (£12.95)
Other tuition books, songbooks & DVD packs available to special order - please Contact Us.
 

  OCEAN DRUMS  

These drums originate in the Himalayas and are traditionally used to aid meditation practices.
They are not struck but are 'swished' to create the soothing sound of the ocean.
 

Beautiful, traditional Ocean Drums from Nepal
hexagonal shape
with varying traditional Nepalese designs
(£45.00 each).