DjembeBy

Mrs Schneider

Djembe is a skin covered drum.

It is believed that the djembe drum was invented in the twelfth century by the Mandinke tribe, in Mali, West Africa

According to the Bamana people in Mali, the name of the djembe comes directly from the saying "Anke djé, anke bé" which translates to "everyone gather together in peace" and defines the drum's purpose.

Traditionally crafted djembe drums were carved from a single section of a Lenge tree

Drum heads are made from goats skinGoats raised in West Africa are thought to have tougher and harder hides which give the drum a special quality.

TuningDjembe drums are tuned by evenly pulling the vertical ropes very tightly so that a system of metal rings brings the skin down over the drum shell.

As a result of the goblet shape, the density of the wood, the internal carvings, and the skin, there is a wide range of  tones that can be produced by the djembe. 

Tones•The Bass•The Tone•The Slap

Gather together in peace

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Want to run a djembe project?

• Contact Merton Music Foundation to find out more about our In2Music programme

• We can also arrange individual and small group world percussion tuition

• Enjoy!

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