The cutting of hardwood trees is regulated by the Malian authorities. The foresters are operators registered with the government. They respect the legislation in force for this type of activity in collaboration with the "Direction Nationale des Eaux and Forests". Most of those hardwood types are harvested in the Sikasso region. The finished shells will dry in our drying rooms for a minimum three months and up to one year. 

Our master sculptor, Mamadou Coulibaly, has remarkable artistic creativity, transforming every drum in a unique master piece.Before being prepared for the assembly, every shell is inspected by Modibo Fane', a master blacksmith, and adjusted where necessary. Some shells are not completely round anymore after drying, and are rejected. Every shell is manually scraped and smoothed with sandpaper. This operation will reveal the veins of the wood and give a clean appearance. Playing edge on the drums is evenly rounded for extra comfort while playing. Shells will get a new treatment with Shea butter inside. The outside is protected with a preparation based on wild bush bee wax.