Music has been a part of human society since the late prehistoric times. In those days, prehistoric men use primitive percussion devices like drums. Such music is as old as their late paleolithic religions.

These devices are still being used until today. Unlike modern drums hewn from synthetic plastic material, traditional drums maintain a separate cultural identity compared to their modern predecessors. But their cultural identity varies from every part of the world.

African music's main instrument has always been drums with its sort made of tough animal hide. In their voodoo ancestor worship, drum rapping has been a very important and factor along with dancing and chanting. It is believed that the ensemble is their link with the gods and their ancestors in the afterlife.

Drums are also highly significant in the earliest ancient European concept of music. Marauding Scandinavians and Greek navy rowers navigate with great precision as they listen to the sacred sound of the drummers on the prow. But also on stone cairns, druids of the Germanic and Gaelic cultures command drummers to play after they have finished their incantation for worship.

Asia is a continent whose traditional use of drums permeate different parts of civilization from festivals to warfare. In Chinese new years from ancient times until today, these huge drums go together with cymbals to accompany the parading team marching the streets in towns. Serpentine lions and dragon mascots are being worn by acrobats as they dance to the rythmic beat of the drums.

In Japan, traditional music genre use drums as their primary instrument. The traditional drums are called "taiko" and they have been so symbolic the nation had its own drum festival. These drums are used not only in civil fuctions but also in war, and every feirce samurai warrior in his lord's fief rouse to the sound of the fat drum's alarm.

In the American continent, drums are the most significant musical instrument among the natives. In ancient times preceding European settlement, natives used it for war as well as for important civil events such as the chief's wedding. But more importantly, Native American drums are symbolic to their cultural spiritual practice from the ancient times until today's annual All Nation's Powwow.

But if there is any ancient culture that considers traditional skin-hued drums as an important musical instrument until today, it's the tropical islander culture in all parts of the globe from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Modern reggae music was intergal to the uniting of all islander cultures who identify with each other's stark similarities. For this reason typical imagery of tropical beaches wouldn't be complete without sheep skin drums and the people dancing to the reggae beat.

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