This Djembe - From "Djé" (gather) And "Bé" (peace) - is getting a new skin

A West African instrument which can be as loud as a jackhammer

It's said that good players (djembefolas) can make the drum tell a story. Made out of a single log or hardwood it has a long tradition (12th century) and was never used for signalling but only for "gathering in peace", or "Anke djé, anke bé" how they say in Mali. Three sounds are possible. The slap, the bass and the tone.

My friend uses the modern way of attaching the goatskin which uses synthetic strings. In the old days (before 1970) twisted strips of cowhide were used.

There is whole philosophy about which skin to use. Professionals prefer goatskin which comes from goats with low body fat. Female goatskins are the way to go because they smell less and are said to softer. Let's soak the skin:

The price of this model was 300 euros. If you want something really fancy eg. with a carved spiral pattern inside you might have to spend more.

Now the skin is soft enough:

Heating the end of the string with a lighter so that it easily fits through the holes:

Time to put it on:

A thinner white string is used for the upper rim of the mounting system:

This process is time consuming and can take up to 3 days.

It's said that the sound of the djembe consists of the spirit of the tree (the wood), the spirit of the animal (skin) and the spirit of the djembefola.

There are djembe teachers all over the world. The investment for a drum and a teacher can be worth it as you will have joy for the rest of your life while gathering in peace with music lovers in the parks of cities, alone at home or at the beach. Just remember that the loudness can reach up to 105 dB and could disturb your neighbours which could then create the opposite of peace.

Happy drumming! :)

Images which aren't from me: 1/ 2 / 3