The Origin and Development of Djembe

The Origin and Development of Djembe Name: Institution: The Origin and Development of Djembe Introduction The Djembe is an African musical instrument that has a rope-tuned and skin-covered outlook that resembles a drum. People play it by their bare hands, and the instrument originates from West Africa. Alluding to beliefs of the Mali people, the instrument is symbolic of people gathering in peace. The instrument is renowned for its ability to create a variety of pitches from a low pitch, which marks the base, a medium pitch which marks the tone and a high pitch that marks the slap as players play the instrument using their hands. The wide pitches make the djembe a versatile drum. The West African communities believe that skilled drummers can use the djembe to communicate as the players have skills that can even make the instrument to give emotional tales (X 8 Drums, 2014). The customs of West African society show that men are the only fit people to play the instrument although other instruments can be played by women, which makes contributes to the minimal number of djembe players who exist and in case West African people find a female djembe player, they seem quite astonished. The djembe is a significant cultural heritage tool that preserves the customs, beliefs, and traditions of the West African communities, for example, the Mali people. The instrument has been able to attract tourists who feel fascinated to explore the instrument and learn more about the rich heritage of the instrument as seen through the African communities. The essay discusses the origin, history/background, the materials used to make the djembe and the myths and the legends that are associated with the djembe instrument in West Africa. The Origin Description of the Djembe (history/background) The djembe is a prominent instrument that originates from West Africa in the area of Mali. Djembes are carved from single wood pieces and integrated with animal skins as the drumheads, which makes the instrument to be categorized in the membranophone class of instruments. The height of the instrument ranges from twelve to twenty-four inches. The name of the instruments originated from a community in Mali called the Bamana, who said "Anke die, Anke be" which was a phrase that called people to gather together peacefully. The instrument is estimated to be approximately seven centuries old, whereby then the territory of Mali had covered significant parts of the West African parts with current countries such as Mali, Senegal, Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, which are now countries but by the ancient times, they were called the Mali territory (Afro drumming, 2018). The first djembe instruments were handcrafted by blacksmiths with tailored specifications that met the needs of the drummers to play the instruments effectively. The drum had spiritual connections that made the blacksmiths intervene through giving offerings to the spirits before they cut the trees used to make the drums. Drummers were members of the djeli caste, who were musicians mandated to pass down the history of their people orally through the drum and the composed music. The djeli caste is still in existence where they still perform traditional music in African rituals, events like baptisms, funerals, and even weddings. Independence of African countries to be precise the West African countries influenced the djembe instrument. The sovereignty of the states marked some new cultures that influence the use of the djembe instrument. The countries used djembe in national ballets, where this use emphasized on the music made rather than the dancers and other complementary aspects. The fame of the instrument was around the proximity of the countries that invented the djembe instrument even into the 1950s (The Drum Doctor, 2019). Fodeba Keita from Guinea made the instrument famous through the Les Ballets Africans who received some global fame. The fame influence Americans to use the drum to create their music. In the 1980s, the orchestras and West African ballets have popularized their music through the djembe, the prominent drumming skills and the heritage preserved through the traditions of the community, which has been integral in popularizing the djembe. The fame ...