Drum Circle

The djembe is one of West Africa's best known instruments. Traditionally carved from a single piece of wood with an animal skin drumhead, this hand drum belongs to the membranophane class of instruments, and stand generally between twelve and twenty-four inches tall.

The name of the djembe came from the Bamana in Mali, who said "Anke dje, anke be" to call their people together, as the saying translates as "everyone gather together." "Dje" means gather and "be" means everyone, which gave the drum used in these calls to order its name. The Bamanakans' mythology tells of the original djembe, which was made of the hide of a giraffe-zebra hybrid called the gebraffe.

In actuality, the djembe drum is about 700 years old, and was created in Mali by the Malinke people. The territory of Mali almost a millennia ago was made of parts of current Mali, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, and Burkina Faso, among other African countries.

Blacksmiths made the first djembes, making each drum custom-fitted to the drummer who would play it. The making of the drum was spiritual, and the blacksmith was obliged to make offerings to the spirits of the trees he cut down. Once the blacksmith finished the djembe, it was delivered to the drummer who commissioned it, a member of the djeli caste. The djeli were musicians, who were responsible for the oral history of their people.

The djeli caste still exists today, and is responsible for the traditional music. The djeli sing and perform during rituals, baptisms, weddings and funerals, and are trusted with the music of their ancestors.

During a performance, the djembe begins the ritual, followed by the singer and the other instruments. The djembe player can change the beat of the drums in order to change the song, and the singer and instrument players use the rhythm to recognize what they should be playing. Meanwhile, the guests at the ceremony dance to the rhythm in a circle. Solo dancers will leave the circle to dance for the djembe players.

Hundreds of years later, the djembe gained a new following after West African countries gained independence. Highlighting the old culture of these newly sovereign states, djembe was used in national ballets, and drew emphasis to the djembe as a musical instrument in and of itself, rather than as an accompaniment. Most modern djembe troupes have done away with their dancers altogether, focusing completely on the music being made.

Even as recently as the 1950s, the djembe was not known beyond African music aficionados and those who grew up with the instrument. However, during the midcentury, Fodeba Keita, of Guinea, brought a tour of Les Ballets Africains around the world. The instrument became well known, and more Americans began using the drum in their music.

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 1980s. Though the instruments are not being made traditionally, they're more accessible than ever, helping a new generation of drummers discover the djembe.

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When built according to traditional standards, every element of the djembe is rife with spiritual significance. Each piece of the drum holds the spirit of its maker; the wood of the body, the skin of the drum head and the workmanship of the artist who made the drum. By using all three spirits in harmony, the spirits join together to make beautiful, powerful music. The drummer is able to connect with him or herself, to those around, and to nature.

The first of the spirits is from the body's wood. The artist must make an offering to the spirit of the tree before cutting it down to hollow it out. Legend states that the spirit of the tree is a djinn, which is the male, malevolent version of a Genie. Djembes were traditionally carved from hollowed out Dimba trees, the name of which means "Devil Wood." The djinn gave the djembe as a gift to the Malinke people, and many believe that the wood is imbued with the power to make the African people dance.

The second spirit of the djembe is found in the drum head. Goatskin is the preferred animal hide used for djembe drum heads, but artists also use skin from antelopes, deer, camels, zebras and calves. Drum heads are made from the female's hide. Malinke mythology describes the first djembe's drum head as coming from the hybrid of a zebra and a giraffe – a "gebraffe." The drum head allowed the Malike people to communicate over long distances. Therefore, the djembe was an integral element in tribal language, connecting members in other areas.

The instrument maker also lends his or her spirit to the drum. The creation of the djembe was difficult, and was undertaken only by members of the blacksmith caste. In particular, attaching the hide to the wood is difficult, because that attachment is one of the crucial elements in the creation of sound. The artist must take care in the tanning of the hide, because of the reflection of the spirit as well as the resonance of the drum, and in the choosing of the wood, as the wood had to be able to burn all night in a fire. The time and effort used during the artistry of the djembe contributed the spirit of the artist to the djembe.

In Mali, djembes have been used in sacred rituals for more than a millennium. Djembefolas, or djembe players, lead the music for marriages, births and funerals, as well as for a number of seasonal ceremonies. Furthermore, medicine men used the djembe to calm their patients, believing that the djembe could heal the spirit.

In female led groups, frame drums were used for worship of goddesses. Rituals were held at night, connecting the power of the moon and the lunar cycle with menstrual cycles. As a consequence of the relationship between these cycles, women felt closer to the spirit of the feminine divine. The drum is used in depictions of the moon goddess.

Labels: djembe, Djembe Spirit, djembe.drum

Jason Mraz is one of the hottest names in music. The singer songwriter, who grew up in Mechanicsville, Virginia, took his musical cues as a teenager from Dave Matthews Band, the Agents of Good Roots and musical theater. He moved to New York after high school graduation to matriculate at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, but left after a year.

Mraz began playing the guitar, but the quality of his voice bears testament to his training as a vocalist; he is known for his broad and unmistakable tenor. Mraz began busking in New York, but later moved home to Virginia, before setting out for the opposite coast.

After settling in San Diego in 1999, drawn to the singer-songwriter scene, Mraz began playing at local coffee houses, like Java Joe's. He signed on for a weekly residency at the hot spot, notorious for launching huge stars, like Jewel, to fame. At Java Joe's, Mraz met his future percussionist, Noel "Toca" Rivera. Mraz calls Toca Rivera a "vocutionist," or a percussionist who also sings.

Toca Rivera, his brother, and Mraz originally formed a band with two guitars and Rivera on the djembe drum, but over time, Rivera's brother left the band. They then created a duet, with Mraz on guitar and Rivera on djembe.

Within a few years, Mraz and Rivera were signed to Elektra and released Mraz's first album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which featured their first top twenty single, "The Remedy (I Don’t Worry)." Three years later, after signing with Atlantic Records, they released Mr. A-Z, which debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 album chart.

The most popular album by far has been Mraz's most recent studio album, entitled We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Thanks in large part to "I'm Yours," the album's lead single, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 200. Mraz and Rivera have now been playing together for seven years.

"I'm Yours" has been one of the most popular songs on the charts in the last year, and helped to make Jason Mraz a household name. Topping the charts in America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, "I'm Yours" was certified gold in 2008 by the RIAA.

Toca Rivera swears by Meinl instruments. In the video to the right, of the duo playing their hit single, "I'm Yours," Toca plays a Meinl Floatune Series Wood Djembe. The Meinl Floatune Series Wood Djembe is a high quality djembe, made of top notch components. Based on traditional West African djembes, this hand drum creates sharp sounds, with crisp tones produced by slapping the center of the drum head. Based on the size of the drum, the pitch can vary, but all Meinl Floatune Series Wood Djembes are made with a rubber wood body and goat skin drum heads. The drum can be tuned easily, and Meinl includes tune up oil and an L-shaped tuning key with the purchase. The drum is available in three colors: African Brown, Gold Amber Sunburst, and Natural.

Labels: djembe, djembe in modern music, djembe.drum, Jason Mraz, meinl, Toca Rivera

Working drummers know well that performing light acoustic shows are part of the job and they need to be trained and prepared to drive the backline using an alternative drum when a standard drum set is not an option. A traditional hand drum is the standard alternative for these situations and drummers typically choose to use a djembe or cajon drum when the kit is too much for the room.

A djembe is a West African hand drum designed for usage in a drum circle. This hand drum is all about connecting with people and involvement by the entire community, and its easy for anyone to participate. Ben Harper, Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel are known for including the djembe in their typical percussive line-up.

Traditional African drums are favored by professional djembe players, due to the superior materials. African female goats lend tougher skins than American goats, to the drumheads, as a result of the rough life of the African goat. African djembes also use hardwood instead of plastic or softwood, which makes for better sound. Many mass market djembes you see at department stores and big chain music stores are made of synthetic materials such as PVC or fiberglass which offer more durability but also offer less warmth when it comes to tone.

Djembes produce a range of sounds, called the bass, tone and slap. The bass is the lowest sound, and is produced by holding the fingers together while playing, like the tone. The tone produces a round and full sound. Finally, the slap creates a high, sharp noise, produced by relaxing the fingers while playing.

A djembe is much smaller than the typical drum set, with size averaging out at twelve inches in diameter, twenty-four inches in height. You can find smaller djembes, down to 8 inches in diameter and eighteen inches in height.

The djembe was prominently featured in Thomas McCarthy's 2008 film, The Visitor. The film focused on the cathartic experience of playing the djembe, and how the musical expression can become part of overcoming grief, as a result of the emotion. Djembe playing is about expression more than skill; it is about community and passion.

Unlike the West African djembe, the cajon is an Afro-Peruvian hand drum that is played by slapping the sides. The box drum has an interesting and broad history where in one case the drum was used as a way to continue to play despite the Spanish boycott on African music. The shape of the box masked itself and was seen as a stool or a shelf rather than a musical instrument.

Throughout history the cajon drum has been used to play the rumba and flamenco music and has recently become a major player in contemporary music. Most recording engineers are starting to experiment with cajon drum tones in the studio for rock, reggae and hip hop recordings.

Famous performers like Jennifer Lopez and the Dixie Chicks have used the drum, as well as Alejandro Sanz, Fleetwood Mac, Norah Jones and Ben Harper.

To play the cajon drum, the player sits on top of the instrument and plays various rhythms on the frontplate, which is typically made of fine hardwoods. The other parts of the box are made of thicker wood, which creates stability for the musician, with rubber feet for the protection of floor surfaces and the bottom of the cajon.

Cajons today have a variety of sounds as a result of bass pedals, snare wires and nylon strings in the production of the drum. Musicians use their hands, as well as plastic and metal brushes to vary the sound for the music.

Labels: cajon, cajon.drum, djembe, djembe.drum, drummers, drumming, drums, flamenco.music

Oscar nominated film, The Visitor, shared with viewers a turning point in life of an older economics professor working at a university in Connecticut. After traveling to his residence in New York City for a conference, he was shocked to find that a young couple, both illegal immigrants, were living in his condo under a fraudulent lease.

He had been trying to learn the piano in order to reconcile his grief with the passing of his wife, a concert pianist, but due to age and lack of skill, he had gotten nowhere. As occurs often in life, the stars aligned and Walter (played by Richard Jenkins who was nominated for an Oscar in this role) experienced a short, yet life-changing friendship with Tarek. Although they clashed in both age and culture, the djembe and the drum rhythms they played together awakened the passion in Walter and the human trust in Tarek.

Walter is a grieving man, reserved and ordinary. Tarek is alive, in the strongest sense of the world. By letting the couple stay in his apartment, Walter makes friends with impassioned, lively people, rather than staying in the shadow of his long-past wife. Through his new friendships and the drumming, Walter is born-again. The soundtrack was inspired by Fela Kuti, a Nigerian artist, and incorporates an African beat into jazz and funk.

The juxtaposition of instruments between the piano and the djembe demonstrates the biggest draw of the drum. Walter fails time and time again at learning the piano, in an attempt to bring his wife's memory closer to him. However, he easily picks up the djembe, and in no time, is joining drum circles in Central Park with men dressed in traditional African clothing, loosening his tie, and getting involved.

The unstructured and positive approach to teaching is the complete opposite of the style Walter's piano teachers used. Rather than discourage him with words, Tarek teaches Walter to relax, feel emotion and let it out because "thinking just screws it up." All of Walter's stress and frustration associated with making music vanishes and he discovers that at last he can play. This reeducation makes Walter free.

This is the most valuable message of The Visitor. The Visitor teaches us that djembe music is therapeutic, emotional, and without an accepted style. Djembe drumming is about expression, not about restraint. For older people trying to become more musical, the djembe is the perfect instrument, because it engages your emotions, not your skill.

The movie, in a unique way, shows how important it is to accept and encourage cultural expression.

Walter's willingness to learn about and engage in West African culture shows viewers that the djembe is a vehicle of globalization. The same effect could be carried by a cajon or a bongo, instruments that take little skill but lots of emotion to play. Drumming takes you into another time and another culture, where expression supersedes technical ability when it comes to playing.

The Visitor is now playing On Demand through Comcast. Watch the trailer:

Labels: djembe, djembe.drum, Visitor

The differences between the various lines of X8 djembe drums have more to do with materials used, quality of wood and carving then skill level of the player. The pricing starts off lowest at the beginner line and gradually increases as you move up to the professional line. It doesn't mean that a beginner player should only be playing with a beginner djembe. In fact it would probably behoove the beginning djembe player to purchase a djembe that is at the professional level as this djembe will be more responsive when played.

As the line increases from Beginner to Elite Professional the following differences come into play:

Quality of Rope - The thickness and grade increase from Beginner to Elite Professional

Amount of Vertical Rope Runners - Increases from Beginner to Elite Professional. More vertical rope equates to stability of tuning and prevents the skin from slipping under pressure.

Wood Grade/Quality - All X8 Djembe drums are made from a solid piece of legally certified Mahogany wood however the quality and wood grade increases from Beginner to Elite Professional.

Wood Carving - The girth of the bowl size and thickness of the overall djembe becomes heavier and bigger as it increases from Beginner to Elite Professional. This leads to more range and bigger tone.

Ring System (Head) - Beginner and Intermediate X8 Djembe drums have a two ring forged steal system while Professional and Elite Professional djembes have a three ring system.

Skin (Playing surface) - All X8 Djembe drums are fitted with premium, hand selected goat skin. Beginner and some Intermediate djembe drums are fitted with a bleached, white goatskin while all Professional and Elite Professional drums are fitted with a natural (unprocessed) goatskin. Also, all Professional and Elite Professional djembe drums are specifically fitted with goatskin that was secured from the back hide. This is the thickest part of the animal which tends to be more durable and produces a warmer, deeper tone.

Labels: african.djembe, beginner.djembe, djembe, Djembe.Buying.Guide, djembe.drum, x8.drums

So you're in the market for a djembe drum but not sure if you should go with a wooden based shell or a synthetic shell.Well, you've stumbled onto the right site. Shopping for a djembe drum can at times be a bit overwhelming. There are such a wide variety of choices, sizes, and features that sometimes you lose sight of what you want. Hopefully after reading this blog you'll have a better understanding of the distinct differences between wood and synthetic djembe drums so you can make a more informed decision.

MATERIALS
One of the big differences between wood and synthetic djembe drums is the type of material used. Djembe drum shells are typically made of wood or fiberglass. Fiberglass drum shells are extremely durable and tend to more easily produce drum tones when played. This can make them idea for beginner player whose playing technique is not quite developed - sort of allowing more room to play with tones without completely missing the mark. Many experienced players also report that fiberglass djembes produce a brighter sound and will seek them out when playing in an amplified ensemble where they need to cut through the mix.

Synthetic shell djembes will be less affected by changing weather conditions, which means less tuning time, and may be a better choice for those planning to travel frequently with the drum or for classrooms where the instruments need to withstand a lot of use and mobility.

On the flip side, traditional wooden shells will have a warmer and typically fuller tone than fiberglass shell djembes. Most professional players will prefer the warmth and fuller sound of a wooden shell djembe as their primary drum. Most of our customers choose a wooden shell djembe as their first drum primarily because of the tradition behind them and the hand-carved craftsmanship that goes into each shell.

If you're planning on gigging out a bunch and transporting your djembe around town, keep in mind that wood tends to show scratches more easily, though both are very durable. A drum usually gets most of its scratches when traveling, so be sure to transport your drum in a djembe bag to reduce the chance of damage.

DRUMHEADS
Another difference you need to understand is the type of drumhead used. There are essentially two types of djembe drumheads. The first type is the more traditionally based goatskin drumhead. The tones produced by goatskins vary immensely based on the quality of skin used and whether or not the skin has been treated. Unbleached, thick skins tend to produce deep rich tones. The best way to identify a high quality goatskin drumhead is to look for a stripe down the middle of the drum. The stripe indicates the spine of the back of the goat which is the thickest and strongest skin available. Other skins may be very light or almost completely white. These skins have been treated with a bleaching product to remove all excess goat hair and pigmentations and typically produce more mid-range and higher tones. The lighter skins tend to tune up faster on rope based djembes.

The second type of drumhead is a synthetic head that was created to produce the tones of skin based on heads, however are more durable, in many cases are waterproof, and tend to last longer. In addition, synthetic heads are typically easier to play because they 'crack' a little louder and have a brighter tone when struck. Again, this could be beneficial for a beginner player who is still learning to play.


QUICK REFERENCE:

X8 Drums manufactures both traditional wooden shell djembes with goatskin drum heads and an exclusive line of fiberglass shell djembes with synthetic drumheads. As musicians ourselves, we are dedicated to developing true performance-ready instruments. And whether you choose wood or fiberglass, you can rest assured that sound quality is our number one priority.

Toca Percussion manufactures a PVC shell in their Toca Freestyle Djembe series. PVC is essentially a hard plastic.

All Remo djembes are manufactured using a synthetic shell called 'Acousticon' which is similar to fiberglass. Additionally, all Remo djembe heads are fitted with a synthetic material called 'Fiberskyn'.

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Next: Rope Tuned vs. Key Tuned Djembe

Djembe Buying Guide

• History of Djembe Drums
• Which Size Djembe is Right for Me?
• Wood vs. Synthetic Djembe
• Rope Tuned vs. Key Tuned Djembe
• How to Tune a Djembe
• How to Play a Djembe
• Compare Djembe Brands
• Earth Friendly Djembe
• About African Djembes
• Djembe Rhythm Samples
• Djembe Rope. Why Quality Matters.
• Caring for your Djembe
• Best Beginner Djembe

 

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Labels: african.djembe, african.djembe.drum, djembe, Djembe.Buying.Guide, djembe.drum, fiberglass.drums. wood.drums., remo.world.percussion, toca.percussion, toca.shell, x8.djembes

Thanks to the efforts of Moya Moye at the University of South Carolina, many students are enjoying the positive health benefits of hand drumming.

After only a month, his drum circle turnout has grown from one participant to groups of 20-25. All it took to get that far was a single drummer and a sign up form.

The story is inspiring and testimony that drumming plus the energy of drum circles has amazing health benefits for people of all ages.

If you are interested in starting a drum circle, follow these simple steps that have made the drum circle at USC a success:

1. Be your own drum circle.
Moya started his drum circle by playing his drums outside of a local cafe with a sign next to him that read "Sign Up for Drum Circle". As people came over to sign up, he let them know that all types of musicians are welcome and no experience is needed.

2. "The only thing we discriminate against is negativity." - USC drum circle participant
Make sure that you, as the leader, always provide positive feedback to your members. Your attitude and actions will be reflected by the rest of the members.

3. Create a webpage for your drum circle
Moya created a FaceBook profile page for his drum circle so that members can connect online. FaceBook provides an easy interface for you to maintain a schedule of events and locations, upload photos and the ability for members to leave comments (no HTML knowledge is needed). Drum Circle Meetup is also a great place to promote your drum circle online.

Tell us about your drum circle success using the comments link below!

X8 Drums provides special packages to drum circle facilitators. Contact us to dicuss djembe offerings and other hand percussion instruments for your events.

Labels: Djembe.Buying.Guide, djembe.drum, drum.circle, drumming, x8.drums

When shopping for a djembe drum it's important to consider the environmental ramifications of purchasing a djembe that uses illegal wood. Unfortunately, many djembe drums that are being imported into this country, from West Africa, are made from wood that has been illegally harvested. Read more about African djembe drums here.

Labels: african.djembe, djembe, Djembe.Buying.Guide, djembe.drum, jembe, rope.djembe, west.africa

We're looking for a professional djembe player to demo eight new African djembe drums that our shop (X8 Drums) is having custom designed and imported from Bali. We will be setting up in a recording studio in Manhattan and will be recording the sounds from each drum and video taping the session. The video sessions and audio will be published on our e-commerce website and used for other marketing purposes. The session will take place in one day.

We're looking for someone who is not only a very good player but is a good teacher as well. You will need to be able to effectively communicate into the camera and be personable. Also, there will be a segment where you will need to walk through the various steps on tuning and detuning a rope-based djembe. Knowing how to repair African djembes, including changing drumheads, would also be beneficial although not a requirement for this particular gig.

This is a paid job! Rates will be discussed over the phone and will be based on professionalism and experience. Please only apply if you are properly trained as a djembe player and have years of experience doing so. You must have proper technique and understand the fundamentals of playing this drum and as I mentioned be able to communicate effectively.

To be considered, please have a resume readily available and be able to send audio or video samples of you playing a djembe drum. Sending samples of you playing other hand drums or a drum kit is not acceptable. Also, you will need to live close to New York City. References are a plus.

Thanks, Mark

Labels: djembe, djembe.drum, x8.djembes, x8.drums