Bendré or Bara - gourd drum / Trommel / Tambour Burkina Faso / Mali probably Bamana

Gourd-based drums are found in a number of West African countries, primarily in Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d Ivoire, Ghana, and Benin.
The Bendre drum is played during the enthronement of Mossi chiefs and also during religious events and festivals.
It is responsible for recalling the heroic deeds of the dynasties and the virtues of the Mossi people.
In the past, during tribal wars, the bendre was the medium to relay news to all the Mossi in the empire.
In the case of the Bamana the bara ( bendre ) may be used either as a solo or accompanying instrument, in the latter instance being played in support of the balafon.
The drum is made of a large spherical gourd covered with the skin of a cow or a goat and is struck with both hands.


Bibliography:
Arozarena,Pierre : " Notes on some Mossi drums of Upper Volta." 1981
Dagan , Esther A. : Drums - The Heartbeat of Africa, edited by Galerie Amrad 1993
Meyer, Andreas : Afrikanische Trommeln – West- und Zentralafrika. Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin 1997
Wieschhoff, Heinz : Die afrikanischen Trommeln und ihre außerafrikanischen Beziehungen. Stuttgart 1933