As if Bodhrans weren’t bad enough…Well, actually they are, but I digress…
I’ve just relocated and now have access to some West African Drumming opportunities, plus the usual free for all drum circles, which get old fast… Anyway, Me sir got no Drum sir! (Yeah, Shoot me and Jar Jar too, please) I don’t suppose anyone here has a good size Djembe they’d be interested in trading for a whistle or something?
Failing that, I’m also intrested in any good Djembe/West African Percussion related sites, any Djembe players out there?
And no, I won’t be showing up at the local session with a Djembe, I do know better. (LOL)
I’ve got a very good djembe but it’s not for trade or sale. Sorry.
Just a word of caution though. You’d probably want a West African made instrument. The only good djembes I’ve played all have natural (usually goat) skins and I’ve never seen an African made instruemtnt that didn’t. Check the tucks where the skin meets the wooden body. A lot of imported djembes are maggot infested there and they’ll spread to your other drums and to … Nasty.
Don’t know any good sites off hand; I’ll pass them on if I find some. Same basic principles that apply to doumbeks apply to djembes though. You get nice tom sounds around the middle, good snare sounds close to the edge and the usual slap effects.
Actually, I went to a class last night, and then stayed for the drum circle after - tenderized my hands pretty well with 3+ hours of playing. There were some nice drums for sale there, most made in Bali, and the one I played all night sounded excellent (although there was a small nick in the head), but the guy was asking $250 for it, and I not in a position to spend. I tried to swap him a Low Whistle for it, but he refused my advice on how to finger the thing, and then complained about the stretch…Sheesh, Drummers. (LOL)
Guess I’ll keep looking around, might go to the next lesson/circle carrying a sign: Will work for Djembe.
Thanks again.
Loren
P.S. If you haven’t checked it out, there’s a good Yahoo Djembe group, it’s “Djembe-L”.
P.S. If you haven’t checked it out, there’s a good Yahoo Djembe group, it’s “Djembe-L”.
Thanks. Shall do. $250 sounds a bit cheap for a good djembe, but … that Australian dollar. I’d go with a West African made one rather than an Asian one. Someone here imports the bodies and assembles the head and ropework locally but clearly knows what he/she is doing. Play a few and you’ll know when you get one that sounds good. I don’t mind synthetic skins in general but I’ve never heard a good djembe that has one. Talking drums yes, but not djembes. I’ve no idea why.
Run a search on djembe and you´ll find plenty of resources.
I have a small 8" or so since 8 years back which only get spanked occasionally but this summer I bought a big one, a west Africa made with goatskin, real quality.
My neighbours hate me these days after buying Copeland soprano whistle and big-ass djembe… he he!
I payed $200 for it. Size is 12" skin and the height is about two feet. Lovely sound from these drums once one have a couple of hours of drumming in the hands.
Here in Sweden a good quality big djembe costs between $200 and $400. Buy from a store and the price is up. Buy from the guy at the market who imports them himself and also sell other African stuff (and is a talanted drummer himself) and you get by with $200 as I did for a quality drum.
I guess they are more expensive in US because of the freight.
Frank Cassidy has a nice tune with Copeland soprano, djembe and marimba. I think it is called marimba, those small “thumb-pianos”.
I really love innovative ideas, world and new age music, as much as traditional folk.
I will certainly buy a bodhran as well, I had one at home for a couple of days but returned it as I got the wrong model. It was really fun to play with, even thoug I didn´t learned how to use the tipper. I played with hands it it ws great.
Even more expensive (phu!) it will become the day I buy a pair of congas, THAT is really cool and some day I will have a pair. I am trying to talk my friend into buying a pair with me to split the cost, we´ll see how that goes
If anyone would like to hear djembe in trad scottish (or irish) music, a friend of mine plays djembe in his band called: cantrip.
check out their website, and hey, I can reccomend their cd, cmon, it’s only 10£ http://www.cantriphq.co.uk
On 2003-01-21 14:25, Pan wrote:
Frank Cassidy has a nice tune with Copeland soprano, djembe and marimba. I think it is called marimba, those small “thumb-pianos”.
I really love innovative ideas, world and new age music, as much as traditional folk.
/Peter
Kalimba is the right name I believe, I´ll check out that instrument you mention to see what that is, thanks!
/Peter
(added/edited)
Seems like a common name for this thumb-piano is.. correct Mbira. Kalimba is, or was from the beginning a tradmark-name for this kind of instrument. Internet, an amazing source of all informatin you´ll ever need
[ This Message was edited by: Pan on 2003-01-21 18:57 ]
Why you’ve got a little bit of everything, don’t you?!? Hey, drop me a line(via PM)and let me know how that A/Bb Abell set is working, I’ve been wondering…
Thanks for the additional info folks, very interesting about the Mbira/Kalimba thing - I had no idea Kalimba was a trade name and not the instrument’s actual moniker.
There were some nice drums for sale there, most made in Bali, and the one I played all night sounded excellent (although there was a small nick in the head), but the guy was asking $250 for it, and I not in a position to spend. I tried to swap him a Low Whistle for it, but he refused my advice on how to finger the thing, and then complained about the stretch…Sheesh, Drummers. (LOL)
