Ashiko is a West African word that means freedom. Ashiko drums are of a conical shape and are constructed with a series of slats bonded together to form the shell.

Drums are at the heart of sub-Saharan African cultures. Drums have a presence in all important aspects of African life - from birth, ancestor worship, rites of passage, healing, storytelling, warrior rites and initiation, at the time of death, as well as an an important means of communication over long distances.They are made of a variety of materials - wood, calabash and other gourds,bamboo, etc.

The skin is tensioned by traditional Yoruba diamond pattern of rope work

Ashiko refers to one of the early 20th-century West African (neo-folk) musical styles called "highlife" which blended African and European influences. The Ashiko drum is a conical version of the familiar conga drum and evolved during the heyday of Ashiko music.

These are a West African drum whose name means Freedom They are of a conical shape and are constructed of a series of slats bonded together to form the shell

A cone shaped drum, built of wood staves. Traditionally has a goat skin head laced onto the drum with rope. Like a djembe, Yields a resonant bass tone when struck in the middle, and a high ringing tone when struck on the rim. Origin: African (perhaps Nigerian?)

The ashiko is a North African or West African (I've seen different sources claim each) hand drum shaped like a tapered cylinder, with the head on the wide end and the narrow end open. Like the doumbek and the djembe, it produces a lower tone when struck in the middle of the head and a higher tone when struck near the edge. Available in various sizes from about a foot and a half to three and a half feet tall, it is built of vertical staves (like a wooden barrel is). I am still tracing the history of this drum, which I am told was originally a log drum (solid piece of wood, rather than staves).

Ashiko (ah shee ko) is a Nigerian hand drum. Nigerian superstar O.J. Ekemode wrote a tune called Ashiko and said that it mean "the world of time" in his language, Yoruba. The name has been used in the U.S. to refer to any cone shaped, single headed hand drum. Ashiko like drums can be found in Cuba, Haiti, Brazil and U.S.

The Ashiko is a long, conical hand drum of staved construction, similar to the N'goma drums of West Africa.
In the Americas our Ashikos are a direct descendent of the Cuban El Boku' (used for playing camparasas at carnivals and festivals) and the 'cocktail drums' popularized in the late 1940's by Desi Arnez and his orchestra.

The ashiko drum is indigenous to South Western Nigeria. It is historic amongst the Ijaw (ijo), as well as the Yoruba peoples. It was first introduced to the United States 1933. The Zulu people of South Africa play a drum shaped very much like the ashiko.

Originating among the Yaruba peoples of Nigeria, they are usually skinned with goat or antelope skin, making them sound and feel a lot like djembés. They can also be found with cow skin, having a more conga-like sound. The body is made with strips of wood glued next to one another, forming the shape of a cone-like shell. It is easier to produce this drum as compared to the djembe since it does not need an entire section of a tree log.

These original carved drums were, I am told, often quite long and have a more gradual taper than the modern version.

The drum has been used for healing purposes throughout the world for thousands of years, in tribal societies with their shamanic traditions to communicate with the spirit world, as well as a tool for social integration and to restore harmony. According to West-African wisdom teachings, emotional disturbance manifests as an irregular rhythm that blocks the vital physical energy flow. As regular even rhythms are regarded as a sign of health, these rhythms can heal the person by touching him or her in an immediate and powerful way, removing blockages and releasing tension. Thus dance and drumming serve as preventive remedies, and they help people to become more aware and balanced.