Darbuka (pot drum) Gabes (southern Tunisia) Terra cotta, camel skin H : 33 cm The Arab and Mediterranean Center Tunisia

As soon as it was suggested that I select an instrument to describe, I immediately thought of the instrument of my childhood, the darbuka. I recall that each year on the occasion of AÏD, my only indulgence was to buy a darbuka. When I began research on this instrument, I found there was a multitude of categories according to the various regions of Tunisia. Gabès is a city in southern Tunisia where music still clings to tradition. This is why I chose the darbuka from Gabès as the topic of my research.

This percussion instrument is very popular in Gabès, especially with young men and women who use it for family entertainment. When brides leave their fathers' houses, they always take their trousseau with them, including the darbuka they played to occupy their leisure hours when they were young. Women tap on the darbuka to create a joyful atmosphere and forget their worries.

I have chosen a darbuka that was made by a potter in Gabès. It has a hollow, goblet-shaped body in rough terracotta and is 33 cm high with three different diameters ending in a large bulge with a slightly rounded rim covered in camel skin. The darbuka is played sitting in a chair. The instrument is placed on the left thigh, skin upwards and slightly turned to the right, while the right hand forcefully taps the centre of the membrane head to mark the rhythm. The fingers of the left hand rest on the edge of the circle of skin to play flourishes between the main beats. In conclusion, the darbuka is a joyous and cheerful instrument and I wish that it could be better known world-wide