Uganda · Wood / Hardstone Carving (musical instrument-making)
Entenga (the specific royal drum set of the Buganda King); the hole-boring tool is called Ekifumu; the exterior-shaping tool is called Embajjo
The carving of wooden drums from single logs, hollowed and finished with stretched cowhide, by craftsmen of Mpambire village, near Mukono, Uganda's most famous drum-making community. Directly documented through a first-person interview with named craftsman Abass Mirimu of Ssebengwa Drum Makers -- maker of several drums within a 15-drum royal set including three standalone drums, and specifically credited as a maker of Entenga drums, the royal drum ensemble of the Buganda King -- the process begins by cutting a tree and dividing it into individual log sections, sized long for long drums and short for short drums. A hole is bored into each log using a dedicated tool called Ekifumu, after which the wood is left to dry in the sun; the log is then hollowed out from the interior using a large scraping tool, and the exterior is shaped and smoothed using a second dedicated tool called Embajjo, with the specific goal of achieving a surface smooth enough that the drumhead skin will form tightly around it. Cowhide -- specifically selected from strong Ugandan cattle breeds -- is sized for both the top and bottom of the drum and soaked in water for 24 hours until fully softened, then cut and fitted as two pieces, with the circular top piece specifically prepared for the drum's striking surface.
Risk level: Endangered · Not independently inscribed
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