Among the group of membranophone instruments is the djembe. Typically made from wood it is shaped like a large goblet over which is stretched an animal skin. One of West Africas most popular drums it creates a deep bass sound when hit correctly due to its goblet shaped shell.
The drum’s history can be traced all the way back to the Mali Empire of the twelfth century and to the tribes of either the Mandinka or Susu (also known as Numu). When the blacksmiths of the Mandinka tribe crossed Africa the djembe, or sanbayi as the Susu call it, went with them and as a result it became widespread. The people of these tribes believe that the instrument contains three spirits, one of the person who makes the djembe, one from the tree from which the wood is taken, and one from the animal whose hide is used for the drum. Modern day players prefer to have drums with a goatskin hide that they make unique with braided rope and wood carved designs.
The word djembe itself is not actually African, it is in fact French. The French colonised parts of Africa and studied the music styles of the people as well as their instruments. As they have not got a hard ‘j’ within their language they decided to use ‘dj’ and it is this spelling that has gained the most recognition. There are currently many accepted spellings of the drum including jembe, djimbe and yembe. In the 1950′s and 1960′s the djembe became well known in and around Paris primarily as it was used extensively by the ballet ensemble Les Ballet Africains. Since then the drum has continued to gain in popularity around the globe, especially amongst professional drum players who are appreciative of its unique and tribal sound.
In Africa the drum rhythm, known as the diansa, is played at celebrations such as baptisms and weddings and also to commemorate important events such as full moons and the changing of the seasons. Some have even suggested that African peoples have used the sound produced by the drum in order to send messages over long distances, making use of the different sounds to communicate different meanings like a type of musical code language.
The people of Africa also use other instruments to accompany the djembe, typically bells and dundun drums. The Wolof tribe from Senegal uses the djembe as part of an elaborate dance performed by their women. While the instrument is played the women dance the ‘Sabar’, a provocative dance meant to attract and entice their men.
You can create a sound with the djembe using one of three basic techniques. The first technique is where you produce a ‘bass’ note by hitting the centre of the drum with the palm of an open hand. Hitting the edge or rim of the drum with the fingers flat produces the second sound called a ‘tone’, and thirdly using a similar action on the rim of the drum but with fingers relaxed is called a ‘slap’.
Djembes are now made the world over by drum producers to supply the growing demand by musicians,hobbyists and students. Musically it is hard to resist moving to the driving beats of a well-played djembe, and even novices to drumming enjoy the primal energy of handling a djembe.
