About African Drumming
Drummergirl acknowledges and pays respect to the past and present Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It is the mission of drummergirl to continue to unite people through the action of group drumming. As Mamady Keïta and other custodians of the tradition insist, the djembe does not judge - it was created with the intention of bringing people together in peace and harmony.
Drummergirl is committed to continuing to share the legacy of all the Great Master Drummers of the Mandingue tradition. We aim to preserve traditional West African drumming rhythms and create accessible compositions and arrangements for learning.
About the Djembe (the main drum we play and teach)
Firstly, a little simple geography.
Africa is made up of 54 countries.
West Africa is made up of 16 countries, including Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and The Gambia.
A area of West Africa was once known as the Mandingue/Malinké or Mali Empire and it was in this time that the djembe was created.
The djembe is 800-900 years old, older than the lines drawn on maps after colonisation.
Now a little history.
The djembe originally accompanied day-to-day life and was used for celebration, initiation, sacred occasions, work in the fields, and to bring people together. Since the independence of many West African countries from colonial rule (in the 1950&60s), the djembe was brought to the stage and the best drum and dance ensembles from West Africa travelled the globe to showcase this magical art form. Once the djembe was visible to international audiences, it became a highly-prized instrument for many hand-drummers in North America and Europe.
Since then, the popularity of the djembe and the rhythms of the Mandingue has grown exponentially and the instrument can now be found and enjoyed all over the world. There are now two types of djembe music circulating - traditional and contemporary. Out of respect to all the cultures and people from which the djembe comes, we believe that teachers and students must aim to educate themselves to know the difference.
“The djembe is an instrument that expresses joy… the djembe is universal. It speaks all languages … because all human beings respond to rhythm.”
Mamady Keïta, A Life for the Djembe
The Djembe
In West Africa the djembe is known to have three Spirits:
That of the tree from which it gets its wood.
That of the animal which gives it is skin.
That of the maker who made the drum.
In playing the djembe we give it a voice and it comes to life.
Women and drumming
Traditionally, in West Africa men do the bulk of the djembe drumming. Women however create music, singing songs and creating rhythms about what they are doing and what they are going through. Both Mamady Keïta and Famoudou Konaté say that many traditional rhythms were created by women.
Drummergirl is committed to putting a drum in the hands of anyone who wants to play and in particular those who identify as women. We strongly believe that through group drumming and connection to rhythm, we can connect more deeply to our inner strength and joy.
We will be honouring this commitment until our hands and hearts can no longer drum a beat.