The Djembe, A Charmful Musical Instrument

The djembe is a musical instrument that comes from Western Africa, the country of Mali. It is known to have the specific form of a goblet and is made from animal skins. It can be played with one’s bare hands. And, naturally, is highly popular among youth all over the world these days. Perhaps the charm around the djembe instrument is due to its African origins, and its charge with spirituality and symbolism.

It certainly isn’t hard to play such an instrument, but still there are a few basic things that must be known before engaging on such a musical journey. The basic principle is to put the hands in the very right place, and to either strike the drum in a certain place, or to diffuse the energy of the hand. In order to produce a bass note, one should strike the djembe towards the center.

In West Africa the djembe is one of the most popular instruments. Belonging to Africa, it has its mystic traits and symbolism. Thus, it is considered to contain three types of energies: the energy of the tree, the energy of the animal of which is made the head of the drum, and the energy of the craftsman.

But what exactly are djembe made of?

The wooden part is considered to be properly made if it is carved from a single piece of wood. Traditional makers believe that pieces of wood stuck together no longer possess the spirit of the tree. Also, if properly constructed, djembes have a rather rough interior. As far as the animal skin is concerned, craftsmen can use goat, or camel, deer, zebra, antelope, veal (mature cows are never used.) Another restriction is referring to the gender of the animals - females are preferred to male animals.

Apart from their artistic function, djembe were also used in the beginning for communication over long distances (thus djembe instruments were the ancestors of mobile phones, so to speak.)

How can we learn to play the djembe?

It generally implies finding a good teacher and having a few lessons in small groups. And how long does it take to become a "master"? Well, it would take a couple of months to get to an acceptable level, and about two years to achieve a more advanced sound and precision. Theoretically, there are three ways of beating the djembe drums: on the edge, one can try open beats; around the center, a bit harder beats and, in the very center, bass hits. What learners must do is keep the balance between the three while covering the entire face surface of the djembe. The beauty of the instrument is that the player can create a multitude of tones.

Despite the generally large interest in this traditional African instrument, very few stopped to think and try to find out how and why exactly do its inventers, i.e. African people, started to use it. What are the occasions in which they play the djembe? Do they give the act of playing it a special significance? The thing is very few djembe lovers have actually been to Africa, to see and study the details of the djembe traditions.

Yet, the djembe undoubtedly has a long living tradition on the African continent. The way of playing the djembe, as well as the dances and other practices associated with it, is surely to have a lot of meanings that are unknown to the Westerners. It may refer to the natural cycle of life, to the key moments in a man’s life, all these being expressed by rituals and traditions involving the use of the djembe.

This symbolism can also be found in the carvings made on the djembe’s leg. There are several patterns, each having a special significance. For example, such a symbol carved into a djembe is called "The Leg of a Hen". It suggests the condition of a parent, with its two functions: to protect, and to correct: "The hen treads on her chicks, but she does not injure them." Other carvings may include waves, fish, animals, and so on, often having their very own stories. The best thing would be to get them from the very source, African people, who may know their true versions.