What is an udu?
The udu (pronounced like “voodoo” but without the “v”) is an African vessel drum that originates from the Igbo people of Nigeria. It was traditionally played exclusively by the women for ceremonial music whenever the occassion arose. What started out as simply a clay water jug with an extra hole on the side, is now an extremely popular instrument all over the world. Whether it’s from the music score of a TV documentary or the soundtrack of a hit movie, the sound of an udu drum is familiar to most people.
Udus have a side hole which creates a deep reverberating note when struck with the flat palm of the hand. Some believe that this haunting sound evokes the voices of ancestors. The clay body of the vessel produces a high pinging sound when struck with the fingers. The combination of these two techniques sometimes sounds similar to the Indian tabla or African talking drum.
Traditional udus made from porous clay are very hard to come by, but there are scores of contemporary makers in North America alone. Although many udus are made from stoneware, more porous clay seems to give a better sound. Unfortunately, this often makes the drum quite fragile. Modern innovations of the udu are common, and these contemporary instruments have a much wider range of tones compared to traditional instruments.
The udus crafted in the traditional style are built by hand from long coils of clay and then paddled and scraped into shape. They are not thrown on a potter’s wheel or made from molds. The gradual process of creating an udu takes approximately a month. The instruments with original organic designs and colors have been fired in a pit filled with wood, which produces these unique effects.