Raban
Encyclopedia
Raban or Rabana is one-sided traditional drum type played with the hands, used in Sri Lanka
. The body of these drums are made by carving the Jack
or Vitex
trees. The skin used is that of a goat
. There are two types of Rabans as Hand Raban and Bench Raban.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. The body of these drums are made by carving the Jack
Jack (tree)
Mangifera caesia is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae. Common names include Jack, Malaysian Mango, Binjai , Wani , yaa-lam , and bayuno...
or Vitex
Vitex
Vitex is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae Martynov, nom. cons. . It has about 250 species. Its type species is Vitex agnus-castus. There is no universal English name, though "chastetree" is common for many species...
trees. The skin used is that of a goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
. There are two types of Rabans as Hand Raban and Bench Raban.
- Hand Raban is about one foot in diameter. Some performers keep revolving the Raban on the tip of their fingers while others play it accompanied with singing. This is played with one hand only. This type of Rabana is mostly associated with the type of folk songs called 'Virindu'. The 'Virindu' singer carrying a 'Hand Rabana' clad with a sarongSarongA sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric most often has woven plaid or...
and a bandanaBandanaBandana can refer to:*Another name for a kerchief*Bandana *Bandana *Bandana, Kentucky, a small town in the United States*Y Bandana, a Welsh alternative rock band.**Y Bandana , their self-titled debut album....
is an iconic in pre-modern Sri Lankan society.
- Bench Raban is the biggest of the drums used in Sri Lanka with the diameter of it about four feet. The special feature of this drum is that it is played by two or more people at a time . They use both hands. During the festival season, people gather around the Raban and play it for various rhythms. These rhythms are called Raban Sural and they're mostly played by women.