Đọi Tam

Đọi Tam lies in the flat rice country south of Hà Nội, below the small mountain of Đọi Sơn with its old pagoda. According to tradition, when King Lê Đại Hành came to plough the ceremonial furrow here, the villagers made drums to accompany him, and the trade has been the village’s ever since. For centuries Đọi Tam supplied the communal houses, pagodas and festivals of the north with drums of every size, from small hand drums to the great drums of the village gate.

Most households still make drums, and the sound of tuning carries along the lanes. Demand comes from temples, schools, festivals and performing troupes, and from the many communities that commission a large drum when they restore their communal house. Some makers now use machine tools for the staves and source hides more widely, but the stretching and tuning are still done by ear. Large festival drums can take weeks to finish and are often delivered by truck with the makers riding alongside to fit them.

A good drum is judged by its sound first. It should speak clearly and sustain, with no buzz or dull spot when struck at different points. The staves should fit so closely that the joints are barely visible, and the body should be evenly curved. The hide should be stretched taut and even, and the pegs set in a neat, close line around the rim. Jackfruit wood darkens with age to a warm brown, and a well-made drum is meant to be played for decades and re-headed when the hide finally wears.