Our Story

Because our origins are shrouded in myth and legend.

And because some things are important enough to get the details right.

What follows is a true(ish) account of how we began, or at least how I remember it:

Phone: Ring ring, ring ring.

Me: 'Hello, Chris speaking.'

Voice on phone: 'Hi, is that Chris?'

Me: '?'

Voice on phone: 'Hi Chris, have you ever heard of Bamboo Tamboo?'

Me: 'No.'

Voice on phone: 'Ah, that's a shame, I'm looking for someone to make me some instruments.'

Me: 'I'll have a google and get back to you.'

It is rare in life that I have had a lightbulb moment: but this was one.

After some swift googling:

Me: 'What with my 12 year background in teaching whole class percussion and in corporate Team Building, this looks like the perfect thing for me to be doing.'

Me again: 'It's the perfect mix of musicality, simplicity and cool Caribbean drumming. It will work beautifully for teaching the basic principles of music and helping to develop team work and communication skills.'

Still me: 'And, when I have finished an exhaustive design and prototyping process, everything will fit into one easy to carry bag and a Classroom Set will be so low maintenance and will cost a fraction of what other types of instrument cost.

The monologue continues: 'And it's got nothing to do with the fact that I'm fed up of carrying 37 djembes or a huge Samba kit everywhere I go. It's definitely got nothing to do with that!'

Me: 'But surely the day will come when someone says:

'Chris, this is just banging bits of plastic in a vaguely rhythmic fashion.'

And when it does the scales will fall from peoples eyes and I'll Say,

'Ah well, it was bound to happen eventually, we've had a good run.''

But that day has never come!*

Yet. . .

And so now that the record has been firmly and squarely corrected, or at least set permanently incorrect, we can all move on and just enjoy playing Bamboo Tamboo. . .

*Not technically correct, there was one** person

**You know who you are, Jeremy!