Episode 17: A Village Making Drums

June 1, 2025

A Village Making Drums

The largest instrument-making village in Sri Lanka

📍 Sri Lanka

(If you're interested in potentially visiting the village or buying one of their instruments, please contact me from my Contacts page)

Thoughts and Reflections

This was not an easy place to find/visit, even for my experienced tour guide, Mahesh. But like how many things in that part of the world words, Mahesh had to know a friend of a friend who was able to guide us to the village. It was no guarantee that we would find it either; our tour guide was full of empty promises, which seems more culturally, an attitude of "it is probably possible, so its a guarantee". 

I travelled Sri Lanka with my Aunt and Uncle, who have never been either. They are well travelled, so I purposefully sought out one of the few places in the region they've never been to either. It was a gorgeous trip; as I was traveling around, it was easy to imagine myself as a European explorer visiting this island for the first time, getting lost in the mountains/jungles, and waiting for the fog to disperse. Why so many British authors during that time wrote about the orientalism themed Indian/Ceylon is easily fathomable. 

It was hard to know how to go about filming the village. My formula was not the best fit for this village. Up and down the block, there were makers in houses in various parts of production. I basically wandered from house to house to engage with them and see how they were doing and film a bit. I realized that my normal interview questions didn't work. There people didn't necessarily have a passion for instrument-making, an eagerness to innovate, or a journey. Most (if not all) of them grew up in drum-making families, and they are continuing out of tradition. As a result, this video is among the shortest I made. If I had more time, it would be interesting to know/see how they get the materials they work with, see how they export, and experience more playing traditions.