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Preview the new CD
"Rise Up" by Barabajaba.

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Your First Djembe Rhythm

The Rhythm Reference Project

This is an amazing audio and notation encyclopedia of every djembe and dun dun part for 50 Rhythms!

Tasumakan

Barabajaba: Rumba De Obatala “HD” @Big Buddha from ‘Rise Up’ CD

Barabajaba Percussion Ensemble from Puna on the Big Island of Hawaii and Bay Area California present Rumba De Obatala, a special tune off of the new Rise Up CD. Based on traditional afro cuban drum patterns. Filmed at Big Buddha Temple, Bo Phut, Koh Samui Island, Thailand. Orisha chants and vocals by Jesse Seyomour and Zahira. Shot in HD (high definition) on Canon 7D digital camera.

Dununba #1 “HD” Djembe drum and dance party in Conakry, Guinea

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sdoumbiacrew

#1 in a series: This is my best quality High Definition video yet! If your computer is fast enough, press the HD button, You can still watch it in regular format as well! This video was shot at a Dununba (aka dundunba) community celebration and dnace party I attended in Conakry, Guinea West Africa while I was studying with the late great Komoko Sano at his compound. I am installing it in [...]

“Axe” by Barabajaba from the new CD, “Rise Up”, World Music

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/barabajaba

This world and African/Brasilian (Brazilian) influenced music, percussion and drumming video with chants is from the new CD, “Rise Up” by the Hawaii and California based percussion ensemble, Barabajaba and features Zahira and Boaz on vocals,and percussion arrangements by Jesse Seymour and MIchael Pluznick. This Brazilian (Brasilian) based “HD” (high definition 1080i) piece features, congas, bata, shekere and drumming and percussion including congas. All photos taken by Michael Pluznick except for all [...]

“African Dance”: Young Boy shows his stuff at Dununba Drum and Dance party in Conakry, Guinea

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arunabrulye

Dununba #8:A young boy at a community drum and dance, “dundunba” party shows his dance and acrobatics as well as traditional west african dance technique in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa! I filmed this on my 2nd trip to West Africa. Master Djembe Drummer M’Bemba Bangoura and Jaques play at this one as well! Djembe masters and djembe drumming, too!

“Numu Foly” Mali African Dance, Djembe Drums and Chants#8

Mali West African dance choreography. This piece is called Numu Foly (the black smith dance). This video is from the series West African (Mal)i Dance, Drums and Chants #8. And is from my African drum and dance lessons in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.

Space, the final frontier. Add a little space to your solo’s!

Space, the final frontier. Soloing concepts

Most young soloists and even experienced players play too many notes. My suggestion is to approach drumming as a musical composition. In music, soloing is more about what you don’t play, then what you do play. I am talking about space. Phrasing and space. Space and phrasing. As Lao Tsu the legendary philosopher once said, ” it is not the walls that are important but the space with [...]

African dance: Mali, “SUNU” Djembe Drums Dance and Chants

African dance class by Michael Pluznick. Djembe music with Dancers Ami Doumbia left and Malodone right) from the award winning Santogoola community center and local group in the Sabaliboogou district of Bamako chant traditional songs and perform traditional based djembe muisc and dance choreography to the Sunu djembe rhythym in Bamako Mali while accompanied by djembe grandmaster Aruna, djembe master Brulye, djembe fola Siaka and dunun fola Kaliefa, 4 different generations of Mali [...]

Respect in the drum and dance community

We all go through changes in life. Learning to play drums and learning to dance can be a humbling experience. We have to surrender, we have to be open up. Often we are in awe of our teachers and we are vulnerable. Maybe we feel culturaley responsible for another cultures hardships. Maybe there is a deep seated sense of guilt. It happens and it is natural.

Please do not let yourself be taken [...]

“How to play Djembe” beginers drum class: Djagbe-Madan Drum Class/ Demo Thailand: slow

How to play djembe. Begginers Djembe calss. Begginers dunun class. This is the rythym arangement “Djagbe” (in Guinee) or Madan (in Mali) djembe and dunun class excerpts @ Rumpuree dance school in Thailand. taught by Michael Pluznick.

“how to play djembe” Djembe class: Guinee Drum Class in Bangkok: Kuku SLOW!

In this “how to play djembe” class MIchael Pluznick shows djembe and dunun drum techniques and styles. The name of this piece is “kuku” from Guinea (guinee) West Africa. Class was filmed in Bangkok, Thailand at rumpuree dance and drum school in Amarin Plaza. Michael Pluznick has been studying, performing and recording for over 30 years and performed with master drummer Bolokada Conde (les Percussions Du Guinea).

“How to Play Djembe”, Djembe class: Mali “Sunu” Djembe Solo tech. recital by MP

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali

Part number one Watch me, (Michael Pluznick) struggle in the deep Mali West African heat trying to remember..and recite djembe solo technjique for my master djembe teacher, “Old Master” Aruna Sidibe… everything Aruna has taught me in the prior 2 and 1/2 months of djembe class for this one piece! I pull it off, but just barely!! To see how it is really played go to my other SUNU djembe and african [...]

African Djembe class”, “How to play djembe” w/ Mali Master Djembe drummer Aruna Djembe solo (Pt.2)

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali

This is part #2 of my african drum lesson and djembe class deep in the Mali West African heat. I am trying to remember..and recite for my master djembe teacher, “Old Master” Aruna Sidibe… everything Aruna has taught me in the prior 2 and 1/2 months for this one piece! I pull it off, but just barely!! To see how it is really played go to my SUNU post on Youtube! Thanks [...]

Africa, Barabajaba and more..your questions answered!

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali

I have received so much mail asking who was who and what was what, I put this video together with answers for you..It has captions and information on whose who and what is what in many of my videos! Please click on the link in blue to take you to the earthcds.com Mali page where you can listen to 4 of my different CD’s for free, or order them there as well. [...]

Didadee Music of Mali part 3 songs and djembe drum

Sumba Togola from Mali West Africa performs live African chants and dance with her amazing group of traditional Didadee musicians and drummers . This is an excerpt from the new CD, “Didadee Music of Mali” available on www.earthcds.com. Enter:mali, enter: didadee

SunsetWorld /Latin jazz high on a Bangkok roof top!

Sunset from high atop a rooftop in Bangkok Thailand. Music by MIchael Pluznick and Joel Lindheimer from the new world jazz / smooth jazz and percussion CD, “Miles Dean”

Bira teaches Oxun song class, song lesson in Bahia , Brasil

http://www.myspace.com/rhyt…

Bira the young drum, dance and song master and teacher teaches Oxun song at our Brasilian drum and dance class in Pelerinio district of Bahia , Brasil.

Samba Raggae “BarabaJaba style” Hilo Percussion Fest 08′

http://www.myspace.com/rhythmsofbarab…

Our own special blend of Samba Raggae served up just the way you like it! Live at the Hilo theatre! Drum and dance soiree extraordinaire Michael Pluznick on djembe, Jesse Seymour on surdos, Peter Pitter on jepinique, Boaz Martin on pandeiro, Criag Koland bell, Bo on snare

“HOT”!! African Dancers from Liberia,Cameroon, West Africa perform African Dance

West African dancers and djembe and dunun drummer perform at the skytop Dream Bar in downtown Bangkok for music festival and celebration. MIchael P, Kenji Japan and Louis Mexico w/ Michael K on shakers as well

HD!! NEW*Chandra Shekar from Barabajaba CD, “Rise Up”

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/barabajaba

high def video from barabajaba world music and percussion ensemble fromthe Big Island of Hawaii and Bay Area Claifornia, too. This song features a combo of west african, afro cuban and et indian music styles!

“Kaki Rumba”: Afro Cuban/West African fusion by Michael Pluznick

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/milesdean

From the MIchael Pluznick CD, Rhtyhym Intergration. Kaki Rumba: Afro Cuban/West African fusion filmed and photos from Asia, Hawaii, California and beyond

Obatala: Miles Dean CD by MIchael Pluznick/ Joel Lindheimer

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/barabajaba/

Obatala, “La Funk”, a tune off the new Miles Dean world music/world jazz CD by percussionist Michael Pluznick and guitarist Joel Lindeimer, Photos by Michael Pluznick in the hills and mountains of northern California

“Rumba Columbia Caha” from ‘Rythym Intergration’ CD by Michael Pluznick

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelpluznick

“Rumba Columbia Caha” is from the new CD entitled available on I Tunes! enter: michael pluznick. ‘Rythym Intergration’ by Michael Pluznick featuring a variety and fusion of different vocal traditions by Perdo De Jesus and Tika Morgan with percussion by Michael Pluznick, this piece uses congas. Shot with Nikon D90 digital slr camera and sony cybershot dsc-w290 and Panasonic GF1 4/3rds camera

Candamble drum class in Brasil (Brazil)

Candamble Afro Brasilian (Afro Brazilian) drum lesson in Bahia Brazil with Master Bira. From our study trip to Bahia, Brazil (Brasil).

Bembe Djembe

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelpluznick click this blue link to listen and preview any songs of this new CD! This new song is called Bembe Djembe from the Rythym Intergration CD. The peace is the Afro Cuban folkloric “Bembe” or Havana style Guido 6/8 by Michael Pluznick with Afro Cuban traditional Santos (Santeria/Lucumi/Yoruba) chants by Priest Pedro De Jesus and family. Filmed in and around California coastline by Michael Pluznick. Chris Walker lead drum, Tika Morgan back [...]

Yemaja (Yemaya) dance and drum class in Bahia Brazil (Brasil)

Traditional. Afro Brasilian Candamble rthyms and dance class’ choreography to the Orisha (orixa) Yemjaja in Bahia Brasil. Taught to us by Maestro Bira and his students. Traditional. Afro Brasilian Candamble rthyms and dance class’ choreography to the Orisha (orixa) Yemjaja in Bahia Brasil. Taught to us by Maestro Bira and his students.