By Isla Quinn
It does not tap. It does not strum. You wet your fingers, grip a rod that stands up out of a drum, and rub. The sound that comes back is low, rough and a little comic, like a large animal clearing its throat.
That is the zambomba, one of the oldest-sounding things in a Spanish December.
How it is built
Wikipedia, in its article on friction drums, describes the basic design in one sentence: a single membrane stretched over a sound box, which may be a pot, a jug or some other hollow object open at both ends, with a stick or cord fixed to the middle of the membrane. The Spanish-language Wikipedia article is close to this. It calls the zambomba a friction instrument, a hollow cylinder, big or small, with one end closed by a skin and a rod passing through the middle. Sometimes a cord is used instead of the rod. It can be made of ceramic, wood or other materials.
The English article lists many bodies and skins across the world: earthenware pots, terracotta jugs, wooden tubs, buckets and tin cans for the body; leather, parchment and the skins of goats, rabbits and bulls for the membrane. It does not say which of these is typical in Spain, so we do not say either.
How it is played
The player rubs the rod or cord, often with a wet hand, a sponge or a cloth, says the English article. The vibration passes into the skin and the body, and the drum answers. The Spanish article says both hands rub the rod and that the result is a deep, peculiar sound. The English article adds that pressing the membrane with the thumb changes the pitch.
Our reading: this explains why the instrument is so easy to start and so hard to play well. Anyone can make a noise. Controlling it is another matter, and neither source says more.
Side by side: one drum, many names
| Place | Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | zambomba | both Wikipedia articles |
| Murcia | pandorga | Spanish Wikipedia |
| Colombia | zambumbia in the English article; runcho or marrana in the Spanish one | both Wikipedia articles |
| Venezuela | furro in the English article; furruco, and furro in Zulia, in the Spanish one | both Wikipedia articles |
| Italy | caccavella, putipù | English Wikipedia |
| Portugal | sarronca | English Wikipedia |
| Romania | buhai | English Wikipedia |
The two articles do not agree on the Colombian or Venezuelan names. Our reading: the words shift from region to region. We give both and do not choose.
A December sound
The English article lists the occasions for friction drums around Europe. New Year’s Eve in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Romania. The feast of St Martin in North Holland. Christmas in Spain and Ukraine. In Spain, it says, the zambomba is particularly linked to Christmas, where it goes with carol singing. The Spanish article agrees and says it accompanies villancicos, the Spanish carols, and aguinaldos, which are small seasonal songs. In several parts of Spain, it adds, “zambomba” is also the name of the party at which the carols are sung.
Jerez, where the party is the thing
The Spanish article gives Jerez de la Frontera its own section. The zambombas of Jerez are gatherings held in the days before Christmas Eve. It places their origin in the 18th century, in shared spaces: neighbours’ courtyards, and the gañanías of the country estates, the quarters where farm labourers lived. People shared sweets and songs. A group sings in chorus, often round a fire if the gathering is outdoors. Tambourines may join in.
In districts with strong Roma and flamenco traditions, naming Santiago, San Miguel and San Pedro, the carols are sung with a flamenco air, and many flamenco artists take part, according to the same article.
Rules for a party
Here is the surprising detail. The article says the city council regulates the zambombas through a municipal ordinance, a bando, which separates private, family, popular and commercial events. Every year a guide to the public “popular” zambombas is published. Our reading: the numbers show how large the tradition has grown, and the bando suggests it needs managing, but the article does not say why the rules were written.
Dates in order
- 18th century: the Spanish Wikipedia article places the origin of the Jerez gatherings here.
- 2015: the Junta de Andalucía’s official gazette (BOJA, Decreto 503/2015) carries the heritage declaration for the zambomba festival of Jerez.
- 2022: 70 public popular zambombas on the council’s guide, according to the same article.
The article also notes that the Royal Spanish Academy, the RAE, records the word in its dictionary as accepted Andalusian usage. It does not say in what year.
Two words for the same noise
The article warns of one more use of the word: in Málaga, it says, “zambomba” has also been used as a name for a fast, dark style of electronic music. It is unrelated to the drum and chosen for its sound. We mention it only so a search for the word does not confuse you.
Questions a buyer would ask
Is a zambomba always clay? No. The Spanish article says ceramic, wood or other materials are used. The English article lists many bodies, from pots to tin cans.
Is it only Spanish? No. The English article lists friction drums in about twenty countries, from Brazil to Ukraine, under different names.
Can I judge a good one from a description? Not from the two sources we read. Neither compares quality, and we do not guess.
What kind of sources these are
Two Wikipedia articles, one in English on friction drums and one in Spanish on the zambomba. Nothing else was read, which is a limit: no maker, museum or heritage body is cited, so every claim here is Wikipedia’s.
What we left out
The drinks the Spanish article mentions at the gatherings, any recipes, who sings what, and the names of artists.
Quick answers
How do you play a zambomba? According to Wikipedia, by rubbing a rod or cord fixed to the skin, often with a wet hand, so that the skin vibrates.
What is a zambomba in Jerez? According to the Spanish Wikipedia article, a Christmas gathering with carols, first recorded in the 18th century, in courtyards and farm quarters.
How many public zambombas were scheduled in Jerez in 2022? According to the Spanish Wikipedia article, 70.
Related on this site: santillana-del-mar-cantabria-stone-town, mahon-menorca-dop-cheese-reading-the-label, altamira-cave-and-neocave-how-a-replica-works
Roam first. Shop later.