The design of our Tembos is based on a group of instruments called ‘plosive aerophones’.
To play a plosive aerophone, you simply strike the end of a long tube (traditionally bamboo) to give the air inside a bit of a jolt, this jolt then creates a vibration which makes a distinctive ‘boing’ sound as the air resonates within the tube. The length of the tube determines the pitch (how high or low the note is) and by making a set and varying the length of the tubes, you’ve created an instrument with a musical scale.
We’ve ditched the bamboo and made the Tembos from stainless steel which we tune to the C-major pentatonic scale. A stylish support structure holds the six stainless steel pipes in a vertical orientation with the tallest standing over 3m in height, creating a truly visual and audibly stunning experience.
Both intriguing and addictive, our interactive outdoor Tembos allow you to make surprisingly funky music simply by striking them with the dense ‘closed-cell’ neoprene foam paddles provided. Alternatively, you could go traditional and use your flip-flops!
Why Tembo? Well, the shape of the instruments reminded us of Elephant Trunks and thus became the inspiration for the name Tembo which means ‘elephant’ in Swahili.
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