This wooden, cylindrical drum or 'kajeuman' is open at one end and closed at the other with a sheet made from the skin of a monitor lizard. The skin is cleaned and treated to make it soft and supple before it is fastened to the head of the instrument by rattan bindings and wooden pegs.Music on Mentawai islands is three-toned comprising instruments such as a 'xylophone', a bamboo flute and a set of three drums. The drums are played at ceremonies and after a successful hunt. The repetitive rhythm of the drums induces trances.The Mentawai also known as Mentawei and Mentawi, are the native people of the Mentawai islands located in the Indian Ocean. These consist of Siberut in the north, Sipora and North and South Pagai in West Sumatra. The Mentawai, whose roots can be traced to the Neolithic period, live a semi-nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle, characterised by animistic beliefs.
