Bahamian Goombay gets us all to party.
Goombay is a Bahamian folk music similar to Calypso in Trinidad or Mento in Jamaica, in which musicians sing about daily life using clever, melodic songs. A traditional goombay drum has a goatskin head. Drummers hold the drum between the legs and hit it with their hands. Using just one drum, the most adept goombay drummers can make an impressive array of sounds, creating tones that defy transcription using standard musical notation. This video is a beautiful blast from a Bahamian goombay-inspired band rather than a performance by one goombay virtuoso — hence the video’s title, “Goombay Fete #1.”
