So ... Remo has finally made a kanjira (at Remo's site,  a pic from Steve Weiss) with the help of John Bergamo.   And thankfully its key tunable.  

I have a traditional kanjira with the lizard skin head and I swear its the most tempermental natural head I've ever dealt with.   Granted, Seattle isn't ideal natural head climate, but still.   None of my other drums are so prone to going out on me.  

So while I LOVE my natural drum, I'm inclined to want a synthetic for those times when I just want something stable.   And while I'm sure the Cooperman is stellar, its pricey.   So I'm happy to see this new drum as an inexpensive (under $40) option.  

But I'm curious as to its playability.  If anyone out there has tried one, or finds the opprotunity, I'd love to hear back about it.  

And if nothing else I thought I'd share my joy at the release of another toy

Thought I'd mention some feedback I got on this drum from a Framedrummers group I'm a part of.  

The general thoughts seem to be as expected really.   Not a bad unit for fun or practice, but not a direct replacement for a traditional drum.   And the Cooperman does get a better response, primarily because it doesn't have the external tuning the Remo does.  But people still seem to prefer the natural thing.    

The concensus is that a Renaissance (which both Remo and Cooperman use) head just isn't the same as the monitor lizard skin of a traditional drum.  No matter how nice the frame or tuning is.   But if you are looking for a synthetic for whatever reason, the Cooperman really is a more authentic drum.