Gumbe (drum)
The gumbe or bench drum is a frame drum found in French Guiana, Jamaica and Sierra Leone. It is small in size, has a square frame, and one goat-skin drumhead.
The gumbe was introduced in Sierra Leone in 1800 by Jamaican Maroon settlers. The ceremonial maroon music played with the gumbe gradually became a popular [Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Creole people|Creole people|Creole] music genre in Sierra Leone. It became known as Gumbe music and dance and still exists today. Over time, it lost its specific association with Maroons and became identified with the broader Creole population of Sierra Leone.