One of West Africa's most popular instruments, the djembe is a goblet drum traditionally made with African hardwood and animal skin atop as the drum surface. It is said that the name of the djembe came from the Bambara people, a native Mali ethnic group, who said the phrase "Anke dje, anke be", which translates to "everyone gather together". This phrase defines the purpose of the djembe drum, and it adapted into the name of the drum. The djembe drum is said to contain three spirits: the spirit of the tree it was made from, the spirit of the animal whose skin is used on the drum, and the spirit of the people who cut the tree and made the drum.
Homemade Djembe Drum
Creatively used cups for the drum base, utilized paint and strings to pattern the drum, and worked with a rubber layer on top of the cups to emulate the traditional djembe drumhead. Handcrafted by Dylan Wallace.
Sources: https://www.drumconnection.com/africa-connections/history-of-the-djembe/
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