What is a taarija, the small clay hand drum?

The taarija is the little sibling in the Moroccan drum family, and it is utterly charming. It is a small drum, often no bigger than a large mug, with a body of fired clay shaped a bit like a slim vase or beaker and a single goatskin head glued and tied over the wide top. Because it is so light, you cradle it in one hand or under the arm and play it with the fingers of the other — it is the kind of drum that gets passed around and that even children play.

Its voice is high, dry and crisp — a quick, ticking, papery patter rather than a deep boom. That is exactly its job: in an ensemble the bendir and darbuka hold down the low and mid rhythms, and the taarija dances on top with fast ornamental fills and accents. Played well, it adds a glittering, intricate layer that lifts the whole groove. The clay body gives it a warm, slightly earthy tone you do not get from metal drums.

You hear the taarija in folk and chaabi music, at weddings and henna nights, in the women’s music of celebrations, and threaded through the bands of the Jemaa el-Fnaa. It tends to appear in clusters — several players trading rapid patterns — and because it is so portable it turns up wherever people gather to make spontaneous music. Of all the drums, it is the most sociable and informal.

For travellers it is a delightful, cheap and very packable souvenir. The medinas of Marrakech, Fes and the south sell them painted in bright colours, and a player will gladly show you how to roll your fingers across the skin. Be a little careful with the clay body in your luggage — but few souvenirs let you carry a piece of Moroccan rhythm home so easily.