sound inspired Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio who eagerly included them on their tour with his percussion solo being featured on "O Ken Karanga" on the album College Concert recorded at UCLA in 1962. Construction Boobams are essentially tuned bongos constructed with a shell of natural bamboo, ABS, plywood, or other suitable material. The available width and depth of the shell, which contributes to the desired pitch, originally limited by the size of available bamboo found typically in the tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean. With the adoption of wood, plastic and other synthetic materials, a modern boobam can be made to produce virtually any desired pitch. Sets featuring the pitches of one, two, or three octaves of the common 12-tet scale have become common, and are available from several makers. Similar instruments appear as ethnic drums in the Pacific Islands, but the modern instrument found its way into current use through its appearance on numerous recordings in Hollywood beginning in the 1950s. Two sets of boobams were owned and used by West Coast jazz drummer Shelly Manne for numerous recording sessions in the Los Angeles studios. See also Bongo Harry Partch Octoban Rototom References External links Hand drums Pitched percussion instruments 20th-century percussion instruments