"Jembe" redirects here. For the garden tool, see Hoe (tool).
Djembe
Lenke wood djembe from Mali
Percussion instrument
Classification
Membranophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification
211.261.1 (Directly struck membranophones, goblet drums, one membrane, open at one end)
Developed
c. 1200 AD
Playing range
65–1000 Hz.
Related instruments
Dunun, Bougarabou, Ashiko, Goblet drum
Musicians
Bolokada Conde, Soungalo Coulibaly, Mamady Keïta, Famoudou Konaté, Drissa Kone
Douguitigui Kone,
Dramane Kone
Sayba Kone
More articles or information
Dunun, Mandinka people
A djembe or jembe (/ˈdʒɛmbeɪ/JEM-bay; from Malinke jembe[dʲẽbe],[1] N'Ko: ߖߋ߲߰ߓߋ[2]) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa.
According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe comes from the saying "Anke djé, anke bé" which translates to "everyone gather together in peace" and defines the drum's purpose. In the Bambara language, "djé" is the verb for "gather" and "bé" translates as "peace."[3]
The djembe has a body (or shell) carved of hardwood and a drumhead made of untreated (not limed) rawhide, most commonly made from goatskin. Excluding rings, djembes have an exterior diameter of 30–38 cm (12–15 in) and a height of 58–63 cm (23–25 in). The majority have a diameter in the 13 to 14 inch range. The weight of a djembe ranges from 5 kg to 13 kg (11–29 lb) and depends on size and shell material. A medium-size djembe carved from one of the traditional woods (including skin, rings, and rope) weighs around 9 kg (20 lb).
The djembe can produce a wide variety of sounds, making it an extremely versatile drum. The drum is very loud, allowing it to be heard clearly as a solo instrument over a large percussion ensemble. The Malinké people say that a skilled drummer is one who "can make the djembe talk", meaning that the player can tell an emotional story (the Malinké never used the djembe as a signaling drum).
Traditionally, the djembe is played only by men, as are the dunun that always accompany the djembe. Conversely, other percussion instruments that are commonly played as part of an ensemble, such as the shekere (a hollowed-out gourd covered with a net of beads), karignan (a tubular bell), and kese kese (a woven basket rattle), are usually played by women. Even today, it is rare to see women play djembe or dunun in West Africa, and African women express astonishment when they do see a female djembe player.[4]
^Friedländer, Marianne (1992). Lehrbuch des Malinke (in German) (1st ed.). Leipzig: Langenscheidt. pp. 279, 159–160. ISBN 978-3-324-00334-6.
^Faya Ismael Tolno (September 2011). "Les Recherches linguistiques de l'école N'ko" (PDF). Dalou Kende (in French). No. 19. Kanjamadi. p. 7. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
^Doumbia, Abdoul; Wirzbicki, Matthew (2005). Anke Djé Anke Bé, Volume 1. 3idesign. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-9774844-0-9.
^Cite error: The named reference Flaig was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
A djembe or jembe (/ˈdʒɛmbeɪ/ JEM-bay; from Malinke jembe [dʲẽbe], N'Ko: ߖߋ߲߰ߓߋ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally...
from West Asia, North Africa, South Asia, and Eastern Europe. The African djembe is also a goblet membranophone. This article focuses on the Middle Eastern...
traditional West African music incorporates greater use of drums such as the djembe. Contemporary styles of music in West Africa have been influenced by American...
name for a family of West African drums that have developed alongside the djembe in the Mande drum ensemble. A dunun is a rope-tuned cylindrical drum with...
individually, with the player using a single drum, and some drums such as the djembe are almost always played in this way. Others are normally played in a set...
traditional djembe ensemble is most commonly attributed to the Maninka and Maraka: it basically consists of one small dunun (or konkoni) and one djembe soloist...
outside the Western tradition, such as the "Mali weave" used to tune the djembe. Many percussionists prefer a more dry sound with less ring. There are many...
is characterized by electric guitars and vocals, youyous, bass, drums, djembé and other percussion instruments. When Tamikrest was founded in 2006, the...
magische Balafon" by Mamadi Kouyaté, Ursula Branscheid-Kouyaté, http://www.djembe-kora.de/mamadi.html Lynne Jessup. The Mandinka Balafon: an Introduction...
Guitar Summit. In addition to the guitar, he also plays the balafon and the djembe. His backup band, since 1992, is called Baffing. He produced a film documentary...
goatskin is sometimes used, in imitation of the high sound of the popular djembe drum. It is played with the hands, and tuned by ropes. Ashiko drums – or...
ad-jingles, albums, etc.). He plays a variety of percussion instruments like djembe, duff, bongos, and batajon. He is the first artist to have developed a unique...
took to music at an early age, studying piano as a child and guitar and djembe in his teens. During a trip to India, he encountered devotional yoga and...
musician and composer Sheck Wes, rapper and professional basketball player. Djembe Gravikord Mande languages Mandingo people of Sierra Leone Mane people N'Ko...
Traore, was the first djembe master to bring the djembe out of Bamana secrecy, igniting its diaspora. The diaspora of the djembe also occurred because...
regularly included two African musicians, Moussa Sissokho on talking drum and djembe and N'Faly Kouyate on vocals, kora and balafon. Just as the second album...
sitar, drums, violin, bass, keyboards, ethnic percussive instruments, solo djembe, harp, uses drum machines for special effects, and sings, although his performances...
percussion instruments to increase the durability of wood (such as carved djembe shells), dried calabash gourds, and leather tuning straps.[citation needed]...
and brings other instruments into his songs, such as the didgeridoo and djembe. Boyd's voice was part of what enticed Sony's Epic/Immortal Records, along...
member (fiddle and vocals) Bonnie Paine (vocals, stomp box, washboard, djembe, musical saw, cello) Charlie Rose (vocals, pedal steel, banjo, cello, trumpet...
core group member 2003–2013) Paul Beaubrun – keyboards, guitars, congas, djembe (2022–present) Dan Boeckner – guitars, synthesisers, various instruments...
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