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The udu is an African drum originated by the Igbo and Hausa people of Nigeria. In Igbo language it means "vessel". Actually being a water jug with one more hole, it was played by women for ceremonial uses. Usually the udu is made of clay.

Balafon  or “Bala”

“UDU”

The Bala is a heptatonic xylophone of West Africa. 

The Wooden keys are suspended on a wood and bamboo frame over calabash (gourd) resonators of graduated sizes. 

A small hole is cut into each gourd and covered with a membrane made, traditionally,  of a paper thin spider's egg case.  More recently, however, it has become customary to use a very thin sheet of plastic (as from a thin plastic grocery store bag.)  When a key is struck, the air inside its associated gourd stirred which, in turn, causes the membrane to vibrate resulting a unique buzzing.

The word balafon comes from the Bambara language.  "Balan" refers to the instrument and "fô" means to play; balafon thus means "playing the balafon".

“Frame Drums”