Carrying ancient traditions into the present
Reading Time: 6 minutes A common question I have been asked by people contacting us is… “What type of drum do I have?” One of my first answers is usually… “No, your drum is probably not a bongo or conga, though those are some … Continued
Reading Time: 6 minutes The jaw harp is known worldwide and has many names depending on the culture and region found. Very little is know about it’s origin, but there are many stories that mention them and a few ancient artifacts that prove the … Continued
Reading Time: 7 minutes Last month we built a earth cob oven here at Archaic Roots during the Mystic Arts Immersion. This was one of the most influential workshops of the event, which required many hands and feet to complete throughout the weekend. Colíbrí … Continued
Reading Time: 3 minutes The slit drum is indigenous to many cultures around the world. Though in this article we will be examining the mesoamerican (includes much of modern Mexico and Central America) slit drum specific to the Americas (pre and post contact). These … Continued
Reading Time: 5 minutes As I walked through one of my first festivals almost 20 years ago, I first heard the special sounds of an udu drum. Those sounds instantly found my attention, low liquid like percussion, as if calling me from a distant … Continued
Reading Time: 5 minutes What led to your interest in learning to make instruments? I became interested in musical instruments during my early childhood in Griffin, Georgia, where friends and I would make a number of our playthings. These included non-musical items such as … Continued