Mrdangas, Darbukas, and mass production

Further to thoughts on making mrdangas and clay mrdangas versus other materials:

I think the Darbuka, also known as Doumbek, or Egyptian tabla, is a good example. This is a drum that is very popular throughout the Middle East, from Afghanistan through Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. Traditionally it is made with a clay body and fish skin head. Modern darbukas are manufactured by a number of companies worldwide, including one from Remo, and typically utilize aluminium covered with a decorative vinyl finish, with a mylar head with tuning screws.

You can watch the youtube video of Mansour, a famous Egyptian tabla player, playing various darbukas. He starts with a westernized aluminium one with mylar head, and then at 0:42 switches to a clay one. The difference is night and day, as is the difference between a Balarama mrdanga and a clay mrdanga (actually technically called a 'khol' - the mrdanga is a different drum, but we'll stick with the ISKCON term "mrdanga" for this drum).

Check out this young guy from Turkey, Onar. He is also very good. His style is a derivative of famous Turkish darbuka virtuoso Misirli Ahmet ("Misirli of Egypt" as he is known in his native Turkey), who studied and developed his distinctive decorative style in Egypt.

Vinyl covered aluminium could be a good material to make mrdangas from. It is lighter than fibreglass and gives a louder sound.

There are obviously production lines set up to make drums with these materials.

Samba World Percussion here in Australia import and distribute a range of darbukas.

This is a "Turkish-style" darbuka:

Take note of the head-securing / tuning mechanism used.

This is an "Egyptian-style" darbuka:

Note the different design of the head. This style is a lot easier on the hands when you play it.

Here is the same design, this time with a decorative vinyl covering:

Traditionally the clay ones are painted and sculpted to give them a decorative finish.

These are traditional drums that are being produced by modern western drum companies. Is there a possibility that our khol could also be produced like this by Remo or some other large drum company?

It is possible. What it would take is for someone to champion the mrdanga and increase its popularity. As kirtan and sankirtan rise in popularity, if a virtuoso steps forwards and creates a reputation for himself, then they could approach a large drum company with a potential market and a potential marketer.

Otherwise, we could look at using existing production facility and financing our own production runs.

Check out this modular drum from Remo, which can transform into a darbuka, djembe, or conga.

I would personally like a mrdanga made with aluminium, with heads like the Egyptian tabla, and a decorative vinyl finish. Each one would also come with a carry bag / protective cover, with a pocket in it for the tuning key, like the one I have for my Balarama mrdanga. That will rock.

Only time separates us.