Who invented african drums

The djembe has a very unique and distinctive design, which is fundamental to its versatile sound. The Mandinka people traditionally used wood from Lenge trees, which held great spiritual importance for them while also lending the drum its resounding acoustic. The large bowl-shaped chamber in the upper part of the body creates low resonance for the bass strokes struck by the whole hand in the middle of the drum , while the narrow elongated lower section helps project the volume of all tones.

The head of the drum is traditionally made from goat skin, providing the djembe with piercing high-pitched tone and slap sounds struck by the hand near the edge of the drum owing to the thinness of goat skin compared to antelope or calf-skin. The shaved goat skin is lapped around a steel hoop and placed over the lip at the top of the drum.

Another steel hoop wrapped with coiled-rope is placed on top of the skin-lapped hoop so that the tension of the skin can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the attached vertical ropes lining the outside of the bowl of the drum.

In order to make a djembe sound good, the tuning of the skin needs to be fairly tight and, more importantly, even on all sides of the drum. If one side of the skin is significantly tighter than another then unwanted overtones will impair the crispness of the sound. The tuning of the drum is achieved by using a double-hoop system in which a lower hoop, lapped with the goat skin head, is pulled down over the rim of the drum by an upper hoop, which is interlocked via a long vertically-winding rope with a smaller hoop just below the bowl of the drum.

Once the vertical rope has been pulled tight all the way around the drum it is tied off, and can be continued to be used by weaving horizontally between the ropes to increase the tension further. The skin will naturally descend in pitch over time, so drummers regularly increase the tension on the skin by continuing to weave the horizontal rope all the way around the bowl of the drum until either the skin is so stretched that it is no longer usable, or the skin rips. There are three main sounds that can be played on a djembe: bass , tone and slap.

The bass sound low-pitched is achieved by striking the drum in the middle of the skin with a heavy hand. It is intended to be a participant and contributor to noteworthy occasions of the village to which it belongs, just as every other member of the village will contribute and participate, each in his or her own way. It's believed that the djembe has magical qualities and is full of life, a life form that consists of three spirits: the spirit of the tree from which the drum shell was carved, the spirit of the animal from which the skin came from and the spirit of the drum's maker.

Each drum inherits the characteristics of each particular spirit and is, therefore, unique, even to the point that the color of the drum skin is significant; djembes with spotted skins have a particular use, djembes with white skins have another use and djembes with dark skins have yet another use. Some djembefolas keep particular djembes for particular occasions.

The role of the djembe began to change in the s, when African leaders began to worry that the influence exerted by Europe's colonization of much of the African continent had begun to undermine African culture. Government sponsored National Ballets and Ensembles were formed. Artists were paid to practice and perfect the art of African drumming.

The village celebration was choreographed to suit the stage. African drumming became performance art, and the djembefola became a soloist. Next to the conga and the steering wheel, the djembe is the most popular hand drum of the Western World, so we had a fairly extensive selection of these African drums at Rhythm Fusion. The three musicians meandered through the selection, picking one up here and there and sampling it, until one of them got his hands on a djembe I had recently re-skinned.

He slapped it and instantly pulled his hand away like it was a hot potato. The heads of his companions swiveled towards him as if yanked by a string, eyes wide open. The drum was screaming! They found seats and formed a mini-circle. The person who discovered the djembe was leader of the band my three visitors belonged to. He specialized in strings but had been playing Latin music for many years, so he knew his way around rhythms and percussion. The next man up was also no percussionist, but he knew the sound of an exceptional drum and was eager to get his hands on it.

Finally, it was Jose Reyes' turn. Jose is a monster conguero that I know fairly well because he'd been conducting conga workshops at the shop on a weekly basis. He set the drum between his knees and tilted it forward to give it full voice, then played the jembe for no more than a minute and a half, but within seconds had my hair standing on end.

Children often play djembe drums that are only " tall and they strap them on and play in a standing position as they copy their adult teachers. Many children in Africa actually start learning to play the drum on coffee cans on the side of the road.

In the western world, children often start off in the kitchen with pots and pans. This is interesting to me as the djembe in Africa and in America comes from the kitchens of Africa. Most percussion instruments come from those outdoor African kitchens. Wood and metal make up the kitchen utensils and so it is with the djembe and dunun the bass drum of the dununba.

Even as recently as the s, the djembe was not known beyond African music aficionados and those who grew up with the instrument. European countries found the djembe before North America and it became more popular there. Now, Japan has risen to a country that has had a recent upswing in interest in djembe and traditional dance.

And we can add China to that ever-growing list! I have been in Guinea when the Japanese elders were sent to find out what was the djembe all about and the dance and the culture of djembe. Was it tied to evil spirits? It was fascinating to me, that a country would send ambassadors and information gatherers before allowing their country to experience djembe and Guinean dance. In today's musical world, the djembe is making its way into the global consciousness. More people than ever listen to world music, popularized greatly by the rapid spread of West African ballets and orchestras especially during the mid s.

While it is hard to find a real djembe worth playing, built with the spirit of the wood, the skin and the maker it is worth the years necessary to invest in finding such a drum. Very often, current djembe-style drums are not being made traditionally. Some argue that it is better to have a djembe style drum than to not have a drum at all. I personally feel due to experience that even though those drums may be more accessible , they do not usually find their way into the hands of good drummers.

To play djembe means to stay true to the history of the djembe; That includes the traditions of magic, knowledge and an open heart. If one of those is absent, the music will not sound correct to village-people of the seeding countries of the djembe. As of today, many traditional rhythms and songs have been lost to the past and the spirits that once were. Many current djembe teachers and historians have made it their purpose to make sure the rhythms we currently know and are learning, not be forgotten.

We owe it to the spirits of the past to learn their music. If we just jam play stuff on the djembe, we will surely lower it's value as an instrument and one day, like a lost and forgotten child, it will be forgotten and die.

When you play the djembe, it needs to speak in the music. If it doesn't speak, it is like you are saying nonsense with your voice. When you learn how to make the drum talk the language of the people who even today play and sing with the djembe, it takes on a life of its own.

The djembe can then share in the energy that comes from without and within. The djembe player is then not 'just' a drummer but a vessel through which the spirit of the djembe comes through. I sometimes say that the sound of the djembe is in the past, present and the future; That it is not really in us yet until the moment it quickly comes into consciousness thru the hands and into the world. It is all at once! The drummer really doesn't own the sound and is certainly not the only one responsible for it.

It comes from years of study with masters guiding your hands, fingers, arms, spine - your thinking and your spirit. That is the master's job. And it is not easy. When you align yourself with a master, you will stay with him for a long time and it is a bond that can touch you and should touch you at your innermost places. If you have gone through this, you know. If you haven't I highly suggest this road BUT it is not easy and you may give up many other things in life to come to the knowledge and ability to make the djembe talk and sing.

More djembe are built in Ghana, Bali and Thailand these days. The djembe has no history there. Some historians say that the djembe never really lived in those countries. Whether they were not born of those countries or not, they are able to export many more drums than the total of all the other djembe-seeding countries combined due to their industrial abilities and more westernized society. We feel strongly that for a djembe to be a djembe it should come from the seeding countries of origin: Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.

These five countries have the trees the djembe is made from and they sound like a djembe. No drum made in the Western World will have that sound or that spirit. You will hear and feel the difference, we promise you. If your heart and ears are open. Please support African artisans and buy traditional djembe drums where much of the money will go back to pay the carvers. Thank you.

And may the spirits that pass through the djembe speak to the spirt in you to help you on your way in life, love and happiness. Contents by Alan Tauber as learned over 35 years of studying the Mande music, drumming, dance, songs and being a visiting member of the Guinean culture.

If you use this info, and wish to state its source, it is through Alan Tauber from his many masters of the Mandeng Music over a 35 year period. There is much more to know and learn. Just because it is written doesn't make it so.

Just because someone says it, doesn't make it real. Many people contact me and ask where did you get this? So, when you have been deeply involved in this music and culture for as long as I have, you make strong and loving connections with those people.

If you care, you open your ears, and you listen to every word and think about the implications and history. I tend to record a lot and then listen to the recordings. I don't ask a lot of questions as I feel it is not my place. I just listen on a 'need to know' basis. Thanks to Kim Atkinson, CA for his support of this work and his wish for the source to be credited. DrumConnection ph: Actual Reviews - I just bought my djembe from Alan yesterday so I'm really excited to play it again after the rain stops.

I like to play outside. I researched many places all across the US and tried Amazon and djembe makers in Pakistan. I found out that the sound of the djembe is 'boingy' if it wasn't carved in Africa. My first 2 were from Pakistan though Amazon and another company didn't want to tell me that! Anyway, huge difference to get a dry, solid African sounding djembe. Thank you! I had my djembe re-headed with a goat skin by DrumConnection and it never sounded anything like this!

I can't stop playing it. I didn't know so much of the value of a djembe was in how it was made with all the ropes and tensioning and a super high quality skin, tuned perfectly. I really can't stop playing my 'new' djembe : Just to add that I wasn't a very good player before but now I play so much and so easily, I am so happy with this! Thanks Alan! I was so impressed with the prompt delivery of a beautiful djembe to on of my teachers of spiritual mindfulness; he LOVED it!

They selected the best djembe they had and shipped it to me in 2 days. It was a huge hit with my teacher. They also supplied us with all the care of the djembe tip sheet and how to tune the djembe video, which is very helpful.

Good communication and perfect follow-thru. I recently purchased a djembe drum from DrumConnection and am now taking lessons with him. He was so incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about the drums and taught me things I never knew I never knew about buying a drum.

His classes are fun and engaging and he goes above and beyond the call of duty in helping us to learn and know about the history and origins of this sort of drumming, It has been in great addition to life particularly during Covid. Excellent and knowledgeable instructors, classes that balance learning rhythms and technique accurately and having fun playing together, great people and community! Alan Tauber is an experienced teacher and drummer who has learned from the best players and djembe masters on the planet, and is happy to share his knowledge with students.

I recommend Alan and DrumConnection highly! I later studied conga with Alan and one of his top notch teachers. The material was challenging but so satisfying. We also own a beautiful djembe we got from Alan.

I highly recommend him as a teacher. Learning the Drum at The Drum Connection is the best and most genuine experience around. I highly recommend The Drum Connection to anyone who is interested in learning how to play the African drum and all it has to offer. I bought an insanely beautiful, well-crafted, high quality djembe off Alan a couple months ago.

It took me about two hours to finalize my decision but he never once rushed me. Felt like I was just chilling with an old pal. Made me laugh a lot! Throughout the class he makes sure everyone is on the same page.. Thank you Alan for all you do and provide.

I have taken lots of classes with Drum Connection teachers and Alan Tauber. His classes are always fun and I have learned a lot about playing Djembe and the traditions and melodies surrounding the instrument. In addition to his own classes, I have taken classes and workshops with other teachers he brings in occasionally - they are always great. And just as important, his students are always supportive of one another - the general feeling is that everyone was a beginner once and everyone helps each other if they can.

I was welcomed with open arms, and having only touched a drum once before, had no idea what to do. I walked in off the street and immediately John Tracy sat with me and taught me a simple rhythm.

I ended up taking a series of lessons with Alan Tauber, and joining a number of drum circles. I loved being welcomed into the community.. The gentle and experienced people there are enthusiastically committed to teaching all levels of drumming. He shares his warm heart, patience, and talents with all students. Coming in as a novice, it could have been intimidating. It was the opposite! Warm and welcoming! Alan has such patience and skill in helping me get to the next stage in drumming!

Such a blast doing outdoor classes! And always enjoyed the camaraderie with my fellow students. I went for my first drumming class yesterday. Alan and Nancy met me with a big smile and created such a loving and caring atmosphere making me feel really comfortable and accepted.

I have no musical experience and was really worried of how the class would flow.