The African Djembe was said to be created in the 12th century; it’s considered one of the most versatile and boundless drumming instruments on the earth (Drum Africa). A Guinean drum that is played throughout Africa that is known to resemble the figure of a woman with it’s round upper half, small waist, and large lower half is called the Djembe drum. This unique drum was created by Blacksmiths from the caste Manlike in Guinea; with its exclusive sound spectrum the djembe produces a strong richness in pitch. The drum is played bare handed, the skin of the djembe consists of goat or antelope and the open mouth shape of the barrel originates from that traditional grain grinder (Mullins, Leslie Marie). It has been played by West Africans for generations
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Griots are still well appreciated now as they were then because of their great knowledge and wisdom the gained through their ancestors (Drum Africa). Storytellers and healers find the djembe’s bright and creative voice to be the perfect match to their art. Traditionally, the djembe is not planned to be a performance instrument that is played in front of an audience, it is intended to be a participant and benefactor to extraordinary events of the village which it belongs (History of the Djembe) . For many generations, the valued drum has been an essential component of spiritual and ritualistic living in West Africa (Drum Africa). The djembe is believed to have magical traits full of life, a lifestyle that consists of three different spirits. Spirit one is the spirit of the tree from which the drum shell was sculpted, the second spirit was the spirit of the animal from which the skin derived from, and the third spirit is the spirit of the drum’s maker. There are different types of djembes and they all have a certain use; djembes with spotted skins have a peculiar use, djembes with white skins have another special use, and djembes with dark skins also have another use. In the 1950s the role of the djembe began to change; Government endorsed National Ballets and Ensembles were created. African drumming evolved into performance art that was exposed to an international audience (History of the
Griots are still well appreciated now as they were then because of their great knowledge and wisdom the gained through their ancestors (Drum Africa). Storytellers and healers find the djembe’s bright and creative voice to be the perfect match to their art. Traditionally, the djembe is not planned to be a performance instrument that is played in front of an audience, it is intended to be a participant and benefactor to extraordinary events of the village which it belongs (History of the Djembe) . For many generations, the valued drum has been an essential component of spiritual and ritualistic living in West Africa (Drum Africa). The djembe is believed to have magical traits full of life, a lifestyle that consists of three different spirits. Spirit one is the spirit of the tree from which the drum shell was sculpted, the second spirit was the spirit of the animal from which the skin derived from, and the third spirit is the spirit of the drum’s maker. There are different types of djembes and they all have a certain use; djembes with spotted skins have a peculiar use, djembes with white skins have another special use, and djembes with dark skins also have another use. In the 1950s the role of the djembe began to change; Government endorsed National Ballets and Ensembles were created. African drumming evolved into performance art that was exposed to an international audience (History of the