Bamboo slit tube percussion (Sierra Leonean-style kele)

The kele is a bamboo slit-tube percussion, or slit-log drum, found among the Mende, Temne, and Limba people of the West African nation of Sierra Leone; it also occurs, under various local names, among the Kono, Kissi, and other groups in neighboring Liberia and Guinea.

Structurally, the instrument consists of a length of bamboo with its two nodes (the inner walls that partition the bamboo into sections) left intact. Because the bamboo used in this instance was imported into the U.S., inspectors had broken the nodes to ensure that the poles contained no contraband. This made it necessary to close the holes in the nodes using lengths of wood.

My version features five longitudinal slits, of varying lengths, in the bamboo tube; the resulting four tone bars produce different pitches when they are struck with bamboo playing sticks (two included).

Dimensions: 15" l., 6" diam.

One way to play the instrument is to sling it over the shoulder and hold it in one hand while striking it with one mallet. You can also brace the instrument between the knees while seated and strike it with two mallets, or place it on a smooth surface and, as in the latter instance, strike it with the two mallets.