Boom-ba

The boomba (highly likely to have come from German "Bumbaß"[1] [pronounced "BOOM-bahss"]; "bum" possibly coming from an older form of "brummen", "to hum", and "baß" meaning "bass", as in music) is a bladder fiddle, known throughout the Pennsylvania Dutch culture of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The instrument focuses heavily on loud percussion, typically consisting of a variety of percussion instruments attached to a wooden pole. The exact designs of a boomba vary, with much emphasis being put on the personalization of the boomba. Common features typically include a spring-loaded rubber base (much like a pogo stick), with percussion instruments such as bells and wood blocks attached. Nearly all boombas also include a set of cymbals which crash as the boomba is bounced, and a tambourine which can be played with a drumstick or shaken as the boomba is played.

A boomba

The boomba is similar in nature to the "stumpf fiddle", though the stumpf fiddle generally lacks the loud crashing cymbal on top. It is this loud crash when bounced that makes the boomba distinct. An older, German variant of the stumpf fiddle and the boomba is the "Teufelsgeige" (German word, literally meaning "Devil's fiddle"), which is decorated with a Devil's head at the top of the pole.[2]