Groove Masters Percussion (GMP)

Groove Masters Percussion is a Vancouver company that has been sourcing hand percussion from around the world since 2007, working directly with makers in Peru, Indonesia, Brazil, West Africa and elsewhere.

The line splits in two. On one side are traditional instruments made from natural materials: carved mahogany djembes, pangi pod and kenari seed shakers, goat hoof chajchas, the African caxixi and kashaka, gankogui and agogo bells, talking drums, bamboo whistles, animal-carved guiros, kalimbas and lyre harps in koa, walnut, acacia and cherrywood.

On the other side is GMP's own engineering. The AirDrum line puts a vent in the base of a composite djembe or tubolo, so the drum keeps its bass and its projection when a seated student plays it flat on the floor rather than tilted. Fibreskin heads on composite shells mean the tuning holds through a damp hall or a dry winter classroom, and stackable and nesting models let three drums store in the space of one.

Cajons, bodhráns, buffalo and octagonal frame drums, djun djuns, doumbeks, cabasas, cowbells, drumsticks, mallets, bags, straps and replacement heads fill in the rest.

Finishes across the composite range are consistent, so a mixed classroom set still looks like one family.