Djembe

The djembe is one of the most easily-recognized ethnic drums in the world, and is very popular among hand-drummers, percussionists, and drum-circle enthusiasts.  And for good reason--it has a very distinctive, deep, and loud sound, and has a simple yet elegant design.  This drum has a rich history in its West African origins--the country of Mali; more specifically, the Bamana people of Mali.  The djembe has traditionally been played with other drums in West African drum ensembles, usually consisting of the djembe as the main "voice" of the ensemble (because it is so loud and distinctive).  Because of the exposure of the world to West African music through traveling national drum and dance ensembles in the 1950's, the djembe has in recent years gained in popularity outside of Africa.

The djembe is a goblet-shaped drum, whose body (shell) is usually made of a hardwood, though some mass-produced djembes are made of fiberglass; it stands between 1 and 2 feet tall.  The drum's head is usually made of untreated rawhide, such as goatskin.  It can produce many different timbres and tones, including deep bass notes and high, loud tones (by striking the head near the rim, where it meets the body of the drum).  In a typical drum circle, at which one may often see many djembes, a player usually sits with the drum between the legs tilted at an angle, with the open bottom raised up from the floor a few inches, in order to not choke the sound of the drum.  At a drum circle today, men and women can be seen playing the djembe, though traditionally the djembe was mainly played by men; women did play percussion instruments such as gourds, rattles, and bells.