Mina (drum)

One end is capped with a head made of cow or deer hide held in place with a peg and rope assembly.

The mina battery is an integral part of the summer celebrations in Afro-Venezuelan communities of North-Central Venezuela (the region called Barlovento).

The celebrations of the Summer Solstice coincides with the day of San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist), which may account for the Saint's popularity in Barlovento.

The mina (also called Tambor Grande or large drum) is set up on a fixed location, where people converge to hear and dance to the performance.

In contrast, the smaller, lighter redondo battery (called Tambor Pequeño or small drum) is carried around by the musicians and played at different points of the procession dedicated to St. John.