African Drumming
Origin of the African drumming
The djembe drum has its origin in the empire of Mali, which was founded by the Malinke (or Manding) people around the 13th century. It was situated in parts of the present-day countries Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia and Senegal.
Djembes were cut by members of the blacksmith caste, who had an important role in social life, since they also manufactured tools, knives and ritual masks. The men circumcised the boys and their wives the girls. Each instrument was especially manufactured for one particular drummer. A tree was chosen, and the spirit of the tree was offered colanuts, to apologize for the cutting.
The "djeli" (or "griot", "djeli muso" or "griotte" for women) caste consists of musicians and singers. They were the official keepers of history and tradition, by lack of any written records. From an early age, the children started to memorize endless texts on the history and customs of their people. The boys also learned how to play the balafon or kora, the girls only sing and play small accompanying instruments like a karignan or djabara (percussions).
djabara : Also called "shekere". This instrument is played by the women. It is a gourd rattle : a gourd (calabash) covered with a net braided with kauri shells or beads. The end of the net is pulled to produce the sound.
karignan : A 20 cm long iron tube, beaten with a metal rod, played by the women.
dunduns : A term used for all three bass drums, made out of the base of a tree, covered on both sides with cow skin. Individually, from big (lowest tone) to small (highest) they are called dundunba (literally "big dundun"), sangban and kenkeni. Each drum can have a bell ("kenken") attached to it, which is played with the left hand while the right hand beats the drum with a wooden stick. They provide the rhythmic base for the djembes. A dundun player is called a "dundunfo
Benefits of the African drumming
• Releases stress
• Breaks down social barriers
• Creates group interdependence and synergy - Drumming groups are an ideal model of group interdependence and synergy; everybody is both dependant on and supporting each other, and the result is a whole that is greater than the sum of it’s parts that can be felt very powerfully and quickly. Drumming helps people realize their own potential, the importance they play in contributing to whole rhythm.
• Improves personal performance and self-esteem - Drumming increases concentration, focus, listening skills, and coordination. Intuitive and creative responses are elicited as players challenge themselves to keep up with the group. Being challenged and learning a new skill enhances self-esteem. Nobody will be put “on the spot” (unless they so choose), or put at risk of “failing”.
• Creates synergy through celebration - Drumming creates an uplifting energy, a celebration that carries on after the event, creating energized relationships synergy, increase team bonds.
• Encourages working "outside the box - Drumming challenges people to find new paths to their goal. It requires a great deal of focus, but it is body oriented, not just mental, and requires one to be relaxed and present in their body, a new approach to "work" for most people. Best of all, it does not feel like work, most people leave feeling energized and excited.
• Invigorates the body - Drumming and dancing can be very physical activities, which can be a great stress release. Drumming can help with posture, back pain, and wrist pain. While encouraging good sitting posture, it improves both strength and flexibility in the arms, wrists, and upper body. For those who choose to dance, it is an excellent exercise for the whole body.
• Uplifts mood! - Drumming is a really fun way to do something as a group. Everybody will be smiling and in a great mood. It is a great way to "breaks the ice" and help people come out of their shells. It’s a real celebration. Drumming has been used in all kinds of celebrations for centuries. People let their inhibitions go and have a great time!
• Creates a unique experience - Drumming is very memorable since it is such an unusual thing to do. Most people will never have drummed before, and certainly would not have seen a large group formed into an instant orchestra. It’s one of the only ways to get a large group doing something really together.
• Developes new skills - It is often new to all people involved, so they get to witness each other going through the learning process. It encourages somatic learning; learning through action rather than just memorization, which has been scientifically shown to be a more effective way to learn. People really learn to listen to each other. People work in a cooperative rather than competitive way. It is a great way to teach coordination to people, which is actually beneficial to them in their lives. The understanding of the importance of rhythm in all areas of life can be a great insight. Left and right brain are used at the same time, which really stimulates creativity and increases concentration.
• Encourages cultural diversity
• Encourages creativity Drumming uses both right and left-brain hemispheres. This encourages creative and logical processing by unlocking and integrating the two, thereby employing a balanced approach to developing one’s thinking.
Become a drummer
African drumming is great. Read Benefits.
From yogic point of view it is a practice of Pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind from the senses),
it has also qualities of mantra (Japa meditation)
It takes some time and effort to learn proper techniques and traditional rhythms but it is a great fun straight from the beginning.
You do not need to sit for meditation, you can drum.
drumming workshop – djembes, dununs, bells, krins, shakers etc. Tuning techniques
Traditional west African rhythms. The blissful experience of polyphony.
Full moon celebration – party full of drumming and dancing around the fire
