Crafts
Medicine Drums
Created as I was taught by Zulu drum builders. These are medicine drums made for ceremony, crafted with this in mind.
Each drum is lovingly handcrafted with Guapinol wood, the singing wood of Costa Rica. The wooden frames are curved to enhance resonance and skinned with cow hide. The bodies are super strong and resonate beautifully.
They are tunable, meaning they can be tightened easily in humid conditions, unlike many hand drums made with cheaper wood frames which are designed for dry conditions and go flat in humid environments. Instruments and materials are properly cleansed during the making process.
I can also build drums to your specification on order. If you are interested, get in touch and I will play it for you on a video call.
Handcrafted Marimbas
A wonderful process of turning a plank and some bamboo into a harmonic musical instrument. Each one individually crafted and tuned.
It takes around two weeks to make a 14-key marimba. The keys are tuned to a pentatonic scale using the notes G, A, C, D, E — though any scale can be made to order if a different note sequence is preferred.
The marimba keys work best between 95 Hz and 1318 Hz, so all marimbas and balafons are created within this range. Each marimba is tuned three times to ensure optimal sound quality and durability: an initial tuning after cutting, a second before varnishing, and a final tuning after varnishing.
The result is an instrument that sounds beautiful, holds its tuning, and carries the care of the maker in every note.
Mango Heart-Seed Maracas
Each maraca begins with the mango heart-seed, made with love and carrying that heart into ceremony.
Each maraca is made by hand from natural materials here in Costa Rica. The seeds inside are chosen for their sound — dry, bright, and resonant. No two are the same.
Used alongside the shaman drum and didgeridoo in ceremony, the maracas mark rhythm, clear energy, and carry the voice of the forest. They are available now.
More about Mango Heart-Seed Maracas →
Interested in owning a handcrafted medicine drum, a marimba, or some heart maracas? Get in touch and Nixiwaka will play it for you on a video call.