Africa Culture Djembe: The Drum with a Thousand Faces

The african hand drum called DJEMBE aroused a writers imagination to write the following:
"It bellows,screeches,cries and screams. it whispers and it sings.... it is the drum with infinte range, the drum with a thousand faces"

In west africa tribes, the djembe is at the very heart of their drumming tradition.. The rhythms of the djembe are typically linked with cultural events of village life, ranging from deaths,marriages, and births to local festivals, harvests and even the purchase of new things like clothing.

The djembe drum come in various shapes and sizes. It has been clearly observed that, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and senegal each have thier own unique style of djembe. The instrument use in making the djembe is created from a solid log, that is has hole and shaped into a drum shell. some of these log have a modest ornamentation, but still others are carefully crafted with elaborated carvings.

After the shell is complete, a drummer that is skilled will then transforms this wooden skeleton into a unique musical instrument. to start, the drum maker chisels, scrapes and sands the shell until it is the precise dimension that will bring out the desired sound. This craftman may also use palm oil to coat inside the drum and allow it to dry in the sun. This process helps preserve the wood.





 

The drumhead of the djembe is made from goatskin and is attached to a metal ring and placed on top of the drum. it is held in a place by a network of cord connected to two other rings. How tight should the drum maker pull the cords? well, it all depends on the sound the drum maker wants to produce. As the craftsman tunes the drum, he periodically checks it by playing his favourite beat.

The sound of the djembe enthralls both africans and visitors alike. indeed, once you experience a jam session put on by skilled musicians, it is hard to forget" the drum with a thousand faces".

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