Drumming is so powerful and simple - it is an expressive language in which everyone can participate without any knowledge or training. The idea for the Bubba Taiko started with this premise and the desire for a deep, expressive drum that would vibrate the soul and energize the players and the audience. Taiko is an ancient and revered form of martial discipline, which requires years of training and conformity to deep traditional styles. Bubba Taiko draws from this tradition but does not seek to emulate it. A Bubba Taiko can join with any style and provide the lead or baseline with a vibrant and unifying voice.
So there I was, jamming in the masses of one of the largest annual free drumming expressions on the planet, which takes place at Eeyore's Birthday Party in Austin. It is not for the squeamish or tentative drummer - it is an assault of disorganized sound with hundreds of drums joining into a mass of chaotic expression with identifiable themes only occasionally weaved into it. And I thought - "this could use a unifying rhythm - something powerful enough to be heard and felt through the chaos of it all." As I play in many drum circles large and small, it is often clear that the drummers cannot hear a unifying theme, which leads to disharmony and confusion. Not that there's anything wrong with that - some of the most interesting things happen in confusion. But generally it is more pleasant to find a unifying theme for drums to weave in and out of to create a more connected sound.
I was familiar with Taiko from living in Japan when I was young and had always loved the deep and vibrant voice of the O-Daiko, but I had neither the time nor the inclination to study the traditional form. As I considered the need for unifying voice in an unorganized drum circle environment, the Taiko sound seemed a potential solution. However, I wanted to create a new drum, drawing in the traditional taiko, but not necessarily wed to the exact form. It always concerned me that traditional O-Daiko did not have a tunable head because the rawhide was nailed to the shell. This is where I started the journey to the creation of the first Bubba Taiko.
It is really hot and humid in Austin, and rawhide drum heads can quickly lose their tension. So I planned to build a taiko style drum with a floating head tensioned with hardware - similar to a conga, but with a head over 20" in diameter.
I spent weeks finding an old whiskey barrel on Craigslist and more weeks searching for potential hardware to use on the tensioning system. Nothing was really suitable, but I cobbled together what I could and produced the first Bubba Taiko in the summer of 2007. The closeup photo of the tension hardware gives an idea of the jury-rigged construction. Despite its many flaws, Bubba Taiko 1 has been a great success. I have already worked through a second prototype - Bubba Taiko 2.0 - and will be re-building Bubba Taiko 1 once I have finalized the hardware solution.
For a couple of years I have been re-working BubbaTaiko #1, 2, and 3 in order to resolve issues with the hardware and head tensioning. After the last re-build of BubbaTaiko #2 I am finally ready to proceed with new drums. Pictured here are BubbTaiko #1, 2, and 3 along with shells for #4, 5 & 6. The second photo is BubbTaiko #4 in process, with the shell, the tension ring, and the rawhide for the head. I endeavor to approach each step with contemplative mindfulness to dedicate this drum to the healing of our community and with thanks for the sacrifices of the hide, wood, and metal for its construction.
