General
The darbuka originates in North Africa and the Middle East and is ordinarily made of metal. Here, Wambooka have flipped the darbuka-themed script by crafting one entirely from transparent acrylic. The visual effect is definitely striking, and the innovative construction includes a watertight polycarbonate tension hoop. That it's watertight is important, since if you add a couple of glasses of water to this darbuka, strike it and then sway the instrument from side to side, a unique flanger-style effect is created.
A Little Bigger
With a 17.5" height and an 8.5" head diameter, the Wambooka darbuka is quite a bit bigger than your average darbuka. The tension of the batter head is optimised by eight sunken lugs that are simply adjusted using an allen key, and the skin is also a little thicker than average so that it remains unaffected when the instrument has been filled with water. It can even be removed and replaced with a standard head when you don't need the water-effect. While the head can be struck for the full sound of the darbuka, you can also get wood-block like sounds by striking the hollow cavities between each lug.
Diving Suit Included
Since this drum is an Italian design, it comes with its own matching neoprene bag - exactly the same material used to construct diving suits. Just don't forget to empty your darbuka before you pack it up.
